Ava
by FuryPossessed
Summary: Pritkin meets Ava, Cassie still can't shoot a gun, the Consul's evil and Rasputin's good - confused yet?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclamer: I don't own any characters or anything - all this is inspired by Karren Chance who all the characters and back story belongs to. The POV does flick between Chance's characters (3rd person) to Ava (1st person) who I created. Enjoy and R&R (: **

Cassie woke with a start knowing that what she'd Seen had been a vision not a dream. There was no way it could have been anything else. Mircea was sat by her side in a flash rubbing soothing circles up and down her spine. She didn't find much comfort in his efforts which was somewhat unusual, but how could she go back to sleep after what she'd just Seen? She let Mircea gently pull her back down into the warmth of their quilts and snuggled closer to him nonetheless wishing for the vision to fade from her mind. But every time she closed her eyes she saw it again as if it were burned into her eyes. _War. People fighting, falling. Vampires and mages alike went down as their adversaries beat them in their own small battles of strength and skill. _

Pritkin. Pritkin was falling. He was losing a fight to a dark mage. That's what made Cassie awake with a strangled scream and tears in her eyes. Although he could be a royal pain in the ass and they rarely saw eye to eye she didn't want him dead. In some strange way they were friends.

"You can't tell him it could change the future." Mircea said in the morning.

"He's going to die, Mircea! Don't you think he deserves to know! I don't want to have another death on my conscience."

"He'll go into battle anyway. You know what John's like." He paused and led her back to the bed and sat beside her, "Cassie I know you want to protect people but your job is to protect them in the past not the future. If I could let you tell him I would, dulceaţă, but you have to think of the time line."

Cassie knew Mircea was right but she felt like she was betraying him. Letting him down. That seemed even worse because she knew Pritkin would do anything to save her. He would give his life for her just as readily as she would sacrifice herself to save him. But the one time she could save him without giving her life was the one time she couldn't do anything because if she did she'd be messing up the time line. That was the one thing she could not let happen. She could do just about what ever the hell else she liked but the time line was her responsibility.

"Come on, Cassie. Concentrate. A baby could have killed you by now." Pritkin said in survival training a couple of hours later. He was pretending to strangle her and she had to stop him by any means necessary. She wasn't doing very well. When she didn't free herself he said, "Miss Palmer, I cannot protect you all the time. If you want to die out there carry on as you are, if you don't I suggest you do something."

"Sorry." She mumbled.

Pritkin thought it strange that she apologise. Normally she would have sighed in frustration before carrying on or snapping at him or, well, something. Definitely not apologise. Maybe she'd had an argument with Mircea. Whatever it was he didn't want to get involved. Even though he'd become accustomed to vampires he still thought they were vulgar creatures. The only reason he'd adjusted was because he'd sworn to protect the Pythia. The current Pythia was Cassie. Cassie was going out with a vampire. It wouldn't be so much of a problem if she told him before she took her trips into the past but she often went at the drop of a hat and he had to be close so she could take him with her. So when she left in a hurry like that he was left alone with a vampire for company.

"Let's start again." he said hoping she would at least _try_ to save herself.

Cassie was struggling not to cry. She knew Pritkin was going to die but she didn't know when. For all she knew he could be dead in a month, a week, a few days. She so very desperately wanted to tell him, warn him of his death but she knew she couldn't. Only the promise she made to Mircea as she left to meet Pritkin stopped her from telling him. She kept wondering what a world without John Pritkin would be like. It would definitely be a lot quieter and there wouldn't be a raving mad, blood thirsty mage on the loose to kill whoever got on the wrong side of him. But she'd be missing a friend. Beneath the war mage façade was a very private guy who had only just found his true place in the world and was, in some ways, still becoming accustomed to it. She almost let out a strangled sob when she remembered that he still didn't wear boxers – a habit from living in seventeenth century France.

She remembered finding it out. It was when they'd accidently swapped bodies and she'd taken a shower. It was something that seemed traumatic at the time especially when his body decided having a girl in residence meant a certain part of his anatomy decided to butch up. Now, apart from that particular incident in their swapped bodies because as far as she knew he didn't know about it and she definitely preferred it stayed that way, they laughed about the whole event sometimes. Well, Pritkin cringed when Cassie brought up the whole Mircea kissing her thing. Normally not a problem but when she was in Pritkin's body…

"I don't know what Mircea has done, Miss Palmer –"

"Don't 'Miss Palmer' Me!" She threw his hands off her neck and faced him. "Mircea hasn't done anything! It's –"

He saw tears in her eyes. Normally when something was wrong she managed to control her emotions very well. It was something she'd had to do to stay alive. To see her like this… Something had to be very wrong. In a soft voice he asked, "It's what, Cassie? What's wrong?"

"I… I can't tell you. It's the time line. Someone… Can we just carry on?"

Pritkin merely nodded and re-iterated the pointers before resuming the lesson.

I was stood in front of my mirror tying my silky, dark red, wavy hair into a high pony tail when the alarm went off for school. Hum, school. School with the Circle training to be a war mage was a… horrible experience to say the least. Though I should be used to it since I've lived here my whole life. Most people got through the day without trouble or a shouting at from the teachers. I, however, was a special case. Having my mothers rebelliousness and a 'bad attitude' from my somewhat unknown father meant that I was perhaps the teachers' least liked pupil. Hey, I did the work without complaining and did it damned well. What more could they ask for? I hit the alarm and waltzed to class picking my ball cap up as I left the room.

There were still a few people milling around when I closed the door behind me but the girls knew the drill – when Ava comes out her room it's time to get a move on unless we want to be late. A few times I'd thought about getting up obscenely early or really late just to get them to stop thinking of me as their personal alarm clock. It would be fun to see them all scamper to their classes early though the rat-run corridors that people said were based on the tunnels of the oldest grave belonging to war mages. Nice to know our instructors had a bright out look on our futures. Bright enough to forewarn us of what awaited us if we died. As if I didn't feel miserable enough in this place as it was.

I picked up a breakfast of tea and toast on the way and had finished it all by the time I got to my first class – sword fighting with this new guy who called himself Jack the Ripper. I wondered if the real Jack the Ripper would appreciate that. I wasn't sure if I wanted to find out since I knew he was a Senate member for the vamps. The head torturer I believe. I thought about telling Jack as much but didn't get a chance to since his gaze turned to me.

"Why is sword fighting so useful Miss LeFay?" he asked. He sounded as much of a warrior as he looked. There was a calculated look in his eye that told me he noticed me daydreaming and didn't appreciate it and was thinking about ways to make me pay.

I stared back into those penetrating brown eyes, which were framed by the long black hair of a Japanese sword master, without fear. "In case someone sets off a nul bomb, you're in Faerie or you're fighting a nul."

"You won't be fighting a nul anytime soon. We drain them all remember, Miss LeFay. Were you conveniently absent when Nul 101 was in session?" the class snickered. I narrowed my eyes at him and took a deep breath. As much as this guy was annoying me, and had been for the entire three days that he'd been here (not to mention it seemed like Sophie (the old teacher) had told him to pick on me or something), I didn't think the admin staff would like it if I knocked him out. And, man, was he getting on my nerves. But honestly what chance did I have at even landing a blow at this guy's head when he was holding a sword. It wasn't just a wooden training sword either. This one was an elegant weapon crafted from the finest steel and most likely somehow enchanted to give a more lethal blow. I might be good but good enough to get past him? No. Unfortunately.

"I heard from one of our Senate members that the Vicious Vixen got a couple of nuls free. The Corps still don't know where they are. It's a possibility." I said instead.

He paused before saying, "You have a minor point." And carrying on with the lesson.

I'll admit sword fighting was a lot of fun now that we'd covered all the safety and strategy points that he insisted on dragging out. The point he made most was to make sure there was enough room between each of us to swing our weapons full circle without hitting each other. Did he think we were stupid? Okay a few people in the class really had no common sense but we weren't five for God's sake.

We began lunging and parrying to begin with, practicing against thin air to get accustomed to the movement and the weight of the wooden weapons. Apparently they had the same weight and balance as the metal weapons we would be using when we were good enough but I still thought that just getting on with the real deal was a better idea – it would give us a healthy respect for them sooner and, hey, it looked way cooler. And we wouldn't get splinters. I stopped to dig the fifth offending flake of wood out my hand earning me a disapproving question as to what I was doing. When I told him I was stopping myself getting a wooden hand he said,

"You wouldn't be doing that in a real battle. You'd be dead by now."

"No I wouldn't." I snapped. "I wouldn't be doing this in a real battle because I wouldn't be getting splinters due to having a _metal_ sword."

He gave me his _damn you're right again but I won't admit it_ look before walking off.

_Huh, _I thought. _I might be the only girl in this class but I'm no suck up like the rest of them. _

This class was the one for the gifted and talented students. Being the only girl meant I had a lot to prove since most of them thought I was only there to fill a quota but I was better then most of them and they damn well knew it just wouldn't admit it. The only person who actually treated me like a person was an easy going guy called Toby. His blonde hair was kept really short to keep out his muddy brown eyes but also exposed his freckles. To be honest he was a lanky teen who was still slightly uncoordinated when he wasn't fighting. When he was fighting though – as I found out the first time I was against him – he was a force to be reckoned with.

However I might think of the rest of the class as people I didn't doubt their fighting ability one bit. Every one of us in the class were virtuosos in the deadly art of being a war mage. We were people The Corps 'desperately need out there in the big wide world'. I didn't doubt that for a second especially with what happened to MAGIC a few years ago. They told us of its destruction to spur us on in our studies, give us more determination and (although they didn't tell us this) to give us a certain amount of fear of what awaits once we graduate.

Part of me couldn't wait to graduate I'd be away from all the people who'd looked down on me my whole life and away from the annoyance of my class mates. But that was also what scared me. Even though I didn't like most of the people I trained with we'd become a family. A really strong family who learned from each other and used each others' strength to become the best warriors we could be. Okay we had war mages all over the world but that wasn't much to comfort me. I didn't trust many people and I'd rather fight alongside someone who I know is going to keep me alive than with someone who might flee at a moments notice.

"Concentrate Miss LeFay!" my magic teacher snapped a couple of hours later.

The spell we were working was second nature to me though. The rest of the class had trouble controlling the ghostly knives we'd conjured but I was getting bored of the second lesson on this very fast. I didn't get why no one else could make their knives stab the dummy in the chest but I got it the first time I tried. Fed up with it I made the weapons disappear. "I've been concentrating for the last half an hour on this as well as thinking about other stuff. I'm a woman, Mr. Jones, I can multitask."

"Good answer, less lip and it would have been perfect." He patted me on the shoulder and walked away.

I rolled my eyes, called some more knives to my side and stabbed the dummy so hard the knife flew out the other side of it in a flurry of straw embedding itself in the wall.

Luka spun around, shocked that I'd almost cut his ear off, then glared at me. "Temper control woman!" he growled.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry." I waved the weapons away and paused for a few moments to regain my concentration and calm my state of mind. The hardest thing to do with animated weapons was to conjure them the rest was easy. Well, if I didn't want to injure anyone.

"LeFay, use shields as well this time. Lest see how far you can go."

Oh fantastic. I was going to have a class audience. Again. This is why most of the guys think I was a stuck up. They reckoned that I liked to show off, but in reality I was proving to myself that I was worthy to be in the class. I mean I knew I was good but I had this habit of telling myself that it was just a one time thing; that _it's never going to happen again_. At least I don't fall into the haze of becoming complacent and conceited. That happened to the only other girl who was in the class, Lucy, but she got moved down to the normal class due to 'attitude problems'. If one thing was for sure you couldn't be a good war mage and be 'swollen with pride'. When she'd been told that, in front of the entire final year group, I imagined her head swelling up to beyond the size of a football and eventually popping.

I shook my head and made my shields flare around me. I protected with fire and water making the sensation of them roar into life soothing. It felt like I had a thin veil of water coating and cooling my skin and a deadly wall of flame leapt up around me bringing a slight flush to my normal pale pallor. But they were just my mental defences that would stop a spirit shifting into me. My defence from magic and weapons was a shimmering wall of nigh on impenetrable magic. Immediately, I felt more secure with my shields in place. Whilst I knew that I was safe with the instructors around I had more faith in what I could do for myself than let them protect me.

Now all I had to do was focus on the shields as well as the ghostly knives at the same time. As singular entities they were easy to control but I hadn't tried controlling both at the same time. This would either go well or it wouldn't. I let the knives hover around me whilst I found the all important balance in power. It was like being on a very finely tuned set of scales; just a fraction one way and it would all tip over. Although this time it could result in someone's death not wrongly measured flour.

"In your own time, LeFay. No one actually wants to go at the end of school." Arnold, my closest rival, said.

"Hey I've never done this before, give me a break. But since you asked I'll take my time." I could feel his unhappy gaze centred on the back of my skull, but I didn't let that phase me. Instead I almost laughed.

I re-found the equilibrium and tentatively let the smallest knife inch forward. Finding it easy I let it go forward a bit faster and faster still until it was going forward at amazing speed and the other knives were begging to be let loose. I let a second and third knife free and they happily sank themselves into the dummy. Then I let a fourth one loose. I almost dropped my shields and had to recall it so I could find that fine balance again. When I'd established it I let the two remaining knives loose and soon the dummy was nothing but a few floating pieces of straw and a pile of burlap rags on the floor.

"Anything else, Mr. Jones?" I said dropping my shields and letting the knives disappear.

"No you're free to go. Everyone else has an extra half an hour."

I walked to the door but remembered what he said at the start of the year, _'No one leaves this room early. No exceptions." _I turned round. "You thought you had me there didn't you. What's the catch if I leave?"

"You'll have become complacent. Your choice. I know how much homework you have to do, it would be good to get a head start on it."

I envisioned a long night only kept up by espresso coffee. I'd be tired in all the classes tomorrow and I would probably fall asleep in potions earning a detention after school which would last until lights out. That meant I wouldn't be able to catch up with the missed sleep. "I'll take my chances." I said and got back to work. Far better to be tired for the next few days than be labelled lazy.

"I'll be firing magic at you at the same time. You sure you want to do this?"

"I'll take my chances."

By the end of the lesson I was battered and bruised and wanted nothing more than to go to bed after a long hot bath. Unfortunately I didn't want to be in detention for not doing the work that was going to keep me alive. Okay the staying alive thing was more of an incentive than the detention but I didn't particularly want to go to one either.

"Ava-Marie got beat up in class even though she had shields!" I heard someone whisper. A fountain of giggles erupted from the group of people who planned to block my path.

"Is it true? Ava-Marie?" a guy called Ross asked. He was a solidly built guy who was about six inches taller than my five feet and seven inches. Nothing about him was welcoming right down from his angry sneer to his clenched fists. Although he looked like he could take on a fully trained mage he was perhaps one of the most hopeless magic users in the year. He had the muscle to back himself up but not the guile or ability to use magic to a significant degree to make him a real threat. If I wanted to I could have thrown him ten feet down the corridor without blinking.

"My name is Ava." I said forcefully. "Whilst that is true your comrade has failed to point out that I was using magical knives and holding mental defences as well as magical ones. I'd like to see you try that, _scrimp_." He wasn't technically a 'scrimp' but he was close enough. And it was always a sore spot for him.

"Hey back off!" Arnold said stepping right into my personal space and holding my gaze.

"Or what? You're gonna hit me?" that was his other flaw – he'd never hit a girl. Even me.

I sensed magic begin to flare around somewhere to my right. Instead of bothering to bounce it back I put up a shield and let it bounce off. I side stepped Ross and carried on my way.

The lights of the clinical corridors began to flicker and fade – a sign that someone overhead was practicing casting wards again. I honestly didn't know why they didn't just use fire torches with the amount of times the interference fuddled up the electricity. An echoing laugh came down the corridor bouncing off the white walls. It was the laugh of a young child which made no sense. The primary school students weren't allowed in this part of the building. Oh, wait, I was doing it again. The laughter _was _from the primary school area I was just forgetting to filter out the sounds from far away. I had super sensitive hearing something close to a vamp's, but no one quite knows why. They said it was something to do with my heritage, my father to be precise. One thing was for sure though – I'm not half vampire. It's physically impossible.


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter is all from Ava's POV. Please R&R. Hope you like**

"Hey, Ava!" Rita called from up ahead and waved. She was looking less than her usual best I'll be honest. Normally she had her almost black hair pinned back into some sort of bun at the nape of her neck but today strands were falling out here and there and she had a bruise colouring her left jaw.

"Hey roomy, what happened?"

"Ah I fell into a punch that was already coming my way. Tripped over Lee's shoelace. Anyway do you have any free time tonight? I need some help with a potions test that's next week."

"Not tonight, haven't you seen the amount of homework I've got piled up on the desk?" I began to walk towards the dorm, "All in for tomorrow as well."

"That's not like you."

"Well whilst you lot were on the trip last week I got pencilled in to teach the advanced secondary school kids in _your_ place. I've had no time to do anything what with it being my week to teach the year tens as well I've been on my feet from dawn 'til dusk and beyond."

A guilty look crossed her face then was replaced by one of concentration. I didn't like that look much. "Half of it is practicing stuff you can already do really well." So she'd been looking through my stuff again. I didn't really mind when it was school work, at least it wasn't personal. "I know how much you like to push yourself maybe you could help me at the same time. Besides you've already aced this test. Along with the rest of them." She muttered the last bit perhaps feeling jealous.

We'd come to the common room (often referred to simply as the common). It was a square room with black leather sofas to offset the white walls and a few coffee tables made from glass. The effect was modern and stylish but still rather basic and clinical. A table that was just inside the door held fruit, packets of crisps and bars of chocolate. I took a bag of quavers and weaved my way through the people milling around and shut my mind off from the incessant noise of too many conversations overlapping each other. I was still working on picking out individual voices from the crowd – part of my never ending homework.

"Ava," someone tugged on my arm as I passed. It was my age old friend Lisa. Her eyes still hadn't left the chess board she was frowning over. "how do I get out of check?"

I had a quick glance. "Move the bishop and take out the king. Puts," I glanced at her opponent. Toby – he was an up and coming rookie in the termly tournaments. Fortunately this was just a practice session. "Toby in check mate."

"What?" Toby squeaked. His blue eyes analysed the board for a few seconds before he knocked his Queen over. "Good play. Now I've got homework to do." he stood up shook Lisa's hand.

"Want a game?" she asked me.

"Would love to but I'm drowning in homework. Tomorrow maybe."

"Ava, stop procrastinating!" Rita called across the room.

I rolled my eyes at Lisa. "Your mummy's calling you." She smiled. A blonde took Toby's seat.

"Catch you later." I waved.

As I went I heard Lisa whisper, "She's so whipped." And they both laughed.

The dorms were down separate corridors the girls to the left and the guys to the right. All the doors were the same shade of shiny black set in white walls although this time it was an off white to make it slightly more homely. The florescent lights look away some of the comfort. The corridor was zigzagged for the obvious reason that if we got attacked the gunfire / magic / fire wouldn't kill all of us for the simple reason that it couldn't get to all of us. Our door was the fifth on the right.

Inside we had a single bed each, a reasonable size desk, a small shelf which was piled high with work books and a small wardrobe and three draws each. The walls were the same shade of white as outside but Rita had put some pictures on them that her mum had taken of them on holiday a few years ago and brought a florescent orange and green rug. It wasn't quite so blinding now that we were half way through the first term and it had been walked on – "Not with muddy boots, Ava!" – quite a few times.

Once I'd changed into some casual clothes – jeans and a blue top I settled myself at the desk for the long haul happily noting that Rita had gone over board with the comfort thing and had put a fluffy orange cushion on the slatted wooden chair. I had to blink away the spots of light it burnt into my eyelids before I could start working however. And yeah she was right – I could do most of the practical homework already. In the end I ended up helping Rita at the same time as working some magic as well as doing written work.

Overlapping everything like that meant I got the work done by one in the morning. Instead of going straight to bed like any sensible person I decided to go for a bath and stayed up until three because I can't sleep with wet hair without getting a cold so I spent ages drying it. Then to top it all off I wasn't actually tired by the time I went to actually sleep so I ended up staying up most of the night anyway.

I woke up to find that Rita was long gone to get breakfast and my alarm was going off and had been for 10 minutes. I was so late. I rushed to get ready not bothering to do anything with my hair and sprinted to class not apologising to the people I knocked out the way in my haste.

I slammed the door open and got hit with magic. Lots of magic. I flew back into the corridor crashing into the wall cracking plaster. I had a dazed thought of _'what the hell?'_ and then remembered. We weren't having a normal class today. Today was some sort of trial to see if we could put together the magic and physical combat moves we'd learnt. We weren't however allowed to use the magic knives we'd been practicing with. And we had to follow a massive long list of rules. Three of them sprang to mind.

Rule 1 – Don't rush into the unknown. Failed.

Rule 2 – Analyse the situation as quickly as possible. Not quite failed.

Rule 94 – Learn from your mistakes. Passed with flying colours.

_Damn._

Slowly, I sat up and let the room stop spinning before I got to my feet. This time I raised my shields and called some magic to mind ready to throw it at anyone who threw magic my way. I cracked the door open. Two teams, one on each side of the room. One had seven people stood the other only had two left. Not Toby's team but the one I was most likely to have been put in if I was here on time. I crept into the room and stood with the larger team who automatically assumed I was going to be working with them.

"Come on guys what are you waiting for? You won't even need your shields up to defeat those two." I looked at the other team and said, "No matter how big a fight they put up." hoping they'd get the hint that I was about to do something.

I felt people's shields go down around me. I almost shook my head in despair at their actions. No way would they be passing now. I mean, what kind of person would let their shields down in the real world especially when the fight wasn't over yet? To put them out their misery I fired a lot magic at 'my team'. The other team did launch an offensive and with their help six people fell. But not Toby. Toby was cleverer than that and knew my way of thinking too well. The other two on my team were too worn out to be of any help to me now, but going solo against Toby was the least I could do since I was late and they would have had a better chance against them if I was on time.

He knew I liked to attack and so ran straight at me, ready to fight old school. I didn't let him get that close before I fired a spell at him that threw him cart wheeling away. I saw that the 'dead' people were carrying training weapons. I walked over to them never taking my eye off Toby and took two long knives from Luka. They were elegant weapons which were just longer than my forearm and would have shone in the light if they were as deadly as the real deal. The hilts had a thin strip of leather wrapped around them serving as a grip of sorts. Toby shakily came to his feet and I could see that he was trying to focus his eyes most likely concussed. I felt bad about it but knew that in order to somehow bring my overall grade up I had to ruthlessly 'kill' him before he got a look in. I threw a week spell at him since that was all I would need to buy enough time to walk over to him and 'slit his throat'.

It was a good job I kept my wits about me because when I got close he threw a spell at me that would have sent me flying about ten feet if it hadn't been for my shields. As it was it shattered them and it was only my quick reflexes that dampened the power of it. I went crashing to the ground anyway, again momentarily dazed. I sprung back up and wondered where all that power had come from. Toby was a good magic user but I didn't think he was _that_ good. When he staggered to his feet once more he didn't make it all the way up before falling back down.

"Ava's team wins." Mrs. Grant said walking over to him.

Celebrations forgotten I dashed to Toby's side just as Grant knelt by him. He was unconscious. Now I felt really bad. Guilt built up inside me as I wondered what to do.

"Ava, get some help. He's going to need to be carried to the hospital."

I nodded and gulped. Damn, I'd put my best friend in hospital. I hurried out the room and found Mr. Jones a few corridors away teaching a year ten class. I burst in there banging the door against the wall as I did so. Everyone turned to look at me in surprise. I even managed to distract Jones from the demonstration he was conducting. Somehow he knew something was wrong and I wasn't just being my normal rebellious self.

"What's wrong?" he calmly asked. It was almost impossible to believe that whilst Toby was lying on the floor of my classroom unconscious Mr. Jones was obliviously carrying on with his job. _Surely, _I thought,_ he must have been able to tell something was wrong before I came here. Especially since as soon as I left people began crowding round him. _

"Toby. It's Toby. He's unconscious and needs taking to hospital. Mrs. Grant needs your help." I gabbled. Noticing my almost hysterical state I calmed myself down and told him what happened as we hurried back to my classroom.

People were gathered round him, Mrs Grant in the middle. When I parted the crowd I felt everyone's anger and disbelief. No doubt they thought I'd actually tried to injure him. Kill him even. But that wasn't the case. I knew I'd thrown some force behind the magic but not enough to seriously harm anyone. Had I? I knew it wasn't enough to kill me. _But not everyone's the same. _I scalded myself. _Therefore they will react differently to your magic. _

A few moments later it occured to me I was going to get absoutely busted for this. I wasn't sure what the head master was going to do, it would probably be a few days before I found out becaue he liked letting poeple wallow in guilt, but I knew it was going to be the worst punishment he'd delt out yet.


	3. Chapter 3

**Big thanks to SynethesiaTastesGrey who gave me my first review and told me about the line thingy to break up the text (: hope you all like this chapter. Usual disclamer: Everything (apart from Ava) beongs to Karen Chance. Please R&R I'll love you all forever :D **

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"Do you have any idea what you've done?"

I looked at the old, haggard man who was my head teacher. Mr. Black. He was about seventy years old and had grey hair and eyes that supported more wrinkles than a raisin. His suit hadn't faired much better either. It used to be some shade of gray that would have looked rather fetching on a younger man but his had been worn so much it had become dull except at the elbows and knees which had gone silvery through years of abuse. However unfit for the position he looked was more than made up for in his stern manner and steely eyes. He was perched on the edge of his desk with his arms crossed glaring down at me. Sat in the green leather wing backed chair I felt small, like everything was pressing in at me from all sides.

"Yeah. I put a friend in hospital." I said flippantly which earned me a none too pleased look.

"Do you have any idea how much hassle his parents are giving me? The doctors are saying he won't be out of hospital for a while and now he's going down hill. Do you have any idea how bad I feel?"

"How bad you feel? Cry me a river!" I incredulously shot back flying out of my seat. How dare he try and put me into another guilt trip? He didn't have a clue how bad I felt and then he was trying to make it seem like he felt worse then I did. "He's my best friend –"

"Then why did you do it?"

"You think I did this on purpose?" My anger was almost replaced with shock. I felt myself begin to shake with rage at his insane suggestion but rather than punch the rest of his life out of him – and it was tempting believe me – I walked out slamming the door behind me.

I found myself walking to the hospital which was yet another clinical looking room. The front desk was manned by a rather lost looking student who had the air of 'new volunteer' plastered on her forehead. I didn't bother asking her for help in finding Toby's room. Instead I walked round the back of the desk – ignoring her shocked expression – and found the folder that had his name on the front. Room b-12. I walked down the perfectly silent corridor feeling mildly queasy. Hospitals were never my favourite places to be, they were boring and you had to stay in bed all day. But the difference here was that it was my fault that _someone else_ was in there. I know I hadn't meant to hurt him – I was tired, probably concussed and annoyed with myself. But they were only excuses. It shouldn't have happened. I should have had more control than that. I should have remembered that my magic, for some reason, was more harmful to the people around me than theirs was to me. I should have remembered that. There was no reason not to.

Which was probably part of the reason Mr Black was so annoyed with me. When we first began using dangerous magic and I'd beaten the hell out of a dummy without much effort. I was taken to his office where he had the dilemma of deciding if it was safe for me to continue training. He said that I would "be one of the best warriors the school had seen in a long time" but was that worth putting a whole class of future war mages at risk? I'd promised to make sure I restrained the amount of magic I used and I would certainly try my hardest to keep everyone safe. For a while that promise haunted me through self doubt and so far I'd been okay. But now… I was fine. Toby wasn't.

His door looked sadly at me but at the same time angrily as if it had a duty to protect him. That was supposed to be my duty. I was supposed to protect him from myself. I took a breath and gently knocked before poking my head round the door.

He was just lying there. Laying there, the monitors saying he'd declined in the last half hour. I closed the door behind me with a soft click that suddenly seemed too loud. His hand was cold and his lips were beginning to turn blue. The pulse monitor paused for a long time between each heartbeat leaving a heavy silence in the space that should have held another heartbeat.

"Come on, Toby. You're going to miss the start of the chess tourney if you don't wake up." I sighed and brushed some hair out of his eyes.

The hand I was holding twitched making me jump. Hope sparked inside me. Maybe he would be alright after all. But beyond that he didn't stir for the whole two hours I sat with him. Light was just beginning to fade making the sky go red when Mr. Jones stepped into the room. He stood on the other side of the bed looking rather unkempt. It was strange to see him like that, he was normally alert and his eyes looked engaged in what was around him. Now he just looked worn and kind of confused.

"You've been with his parents, huh?" I quietly asked.

"They aren't his parents exactly. More like… friends who've taken on the responsibility. They're worried sick. I can't say I blame them."

"Neither can I." A heavy silence ensued in which we both looked at Toby willing him to get better. "Why are you here, Sir?"

"Becca asked me to sit with him for a while."

I vaguely remembered her now that he said her name. She was the woman who I'd assumed was his mum when she came to visit. She was a really short, buxom lady who had thin, mousy brown hair and looked like she'd just been doing some baking with the amount of flour that covered her. She struck me as a jolly lady by nature that would do anything to protect him even though she didn't possess much magic.

"Neither of them will be coming to visit for a while since the vampire Consul summoned them. Ava they have to go." He said when he saw the frown that had no doubt crept upon my brow. "It's a summons they can't refuse."

The guilty part of me was relieved actually. I wouldn't have to face them, wouldn't have to apologise whilst they watched their near son lie in a bed dying. It meant I didn't have to go though the fear of them telling me I wasn't allowed to visit him whilst he either recovered or died. I was being a coward and I knew it. But it was so much easier than having to face up to them. I felt tears pooling in my eyes.

"I've got to go. Ermm… Lisa wanted me to er, do… something." I stiffly walked out of the room not caring for once if I looked weak in front of a teacher. Normally I cared about their opinion of me but this was different. This wasn't school work it was something that should never have happened. Especially not to _him_.

* * *

Mircea was looking for Cassie. She'd been hiding away a lot since the vision containing Pritkin's death. He understood some of what she felt but he didn't understand why she beat herself up about it. It wasn't like her _seeing_ it happen caused it to happen. It would happen whether she _saw_ it or not. He'd looked all over his personal suit in his Washington court but she was still nowhere to be seen. She wasn't even in the garden he'd made especially for her which was her usual thinking spot.

"Rafe have you seen Cassie?"

"She shifted over to Dante's about an hour ago. She said she'd told you."

"Mircea!" Pritkin hollered. "Where is Cassie? She's late for physical combat _again_."

Mircea suffered an unusual moment of indecision. Cassie was obviously more than upset about what she'd Seen and he wanted to protect her from more distress but she needed to face up to what was going to happen if she wanted to be the best Pythia she could possibly aspire to be. "Dante's. Bring her back if you want." He said after Pritkin had blinked once.

"Happily." He disappeared in a whirlwind of weapons and his long duster.

"Safely, Pritkin." He added knowing Pritkin's habit of doing things by force rather than take a more gentile approach.

Pritkin couldn't understand this sudden change in Cassie. She was reluctant to train at first but after MAGIC got destroyed she saw the necessity to be able to better protect herself than distracting people with her lousy shooting. He strode through Mircea's ostentatious house ignoring the stand alone vase that came from the renaissance period and pointedly turned his eyes away from the portrait of Mircea and Cassie sat together in the large ball room. His hurried footfalls echoed off the walls and marble floor. The neatly kept gardens were a relief to his senses which infinitely preferred the simplicity of the carefully kept lawns.

One of these such lawns was home to the entrance of the ley line that passed over Dante's. He put up his shields and pulled the line open and let it take him zooming off to Vegas. It occurred to him that the line he was travelling on was the very one that had destroyed MAGIC a few years ago. And he had to go through the very part of it that had ruptured. He could honestly admit to himself that he was a little bit nervous though he didn't know why. The rupture had repaired itself within a couple of days of the accident. Ruminating over the past he almost forgot to control where he was in the line and had to jerk himself back into the smooth currents of the middle of it.

The bright lights of Vegas came into stark relief against the darkness of its desert surroundings. Dante's was easy to find because of the magic radiating out of it like an aura signalling everything magical towards it. For the norms the mote was probably a factor for all those who wanted to get some sort of mystery spookiness into their trip. He found it amazing that the norms who went in there didn't realise that the 'attractions' in there were actually real not costumes i.e. Satyrs, Fey, Zombies… _the list goes on, _he thought as he left the line.

For the first time he could remember the front lobby wasn't alive with activity. For once he could actually see the entire length of the space and hear the echo of every tiny sound he made. Strangely it reminded him of living in seventeenth century France where all the large buildings had arched ceilings way overhead and long corridors that could quite easily hold a ball in them.

A satyr came to welcome him but he didn't let him speak before saying, "Miss Palmer do you know where she is?"

"No but I would like to. I hear she's a looker."

"I'm sure Lord Mircea would like to know you said that." Although the satyr wasn't under the jurisdiction of the Senate any person within the supernatural community would be wise to quake in their boots of even the mere thought of crossing that particular vampire. He didn't like vamps as a rule but even he had to admit that Mircea wasn't a man to be trifled with. "Where is she?"

The blonde haired creature thought for a moment, his goat knees almost knocking together in fear. "I don't know. Casanova probably does though he's in the shopping plaza with Augustine." He trotted off before he could be intimidated by those piercing green eyes anymore. One thing was for sure, he wouldn't be invoking the wrath of that mage ever again whether Lord Mircea was mentioned or not.

Pritkin found a portal he'd become aware of last time he was there which would take him straight to the plaza. As it happened he emerged and fell straight into Augustine who squeaked in surprise and then horror when he spilt a smoothie of some description all over himself. The fabric itself didn't appear to be too happy he noticed as snakes appeared on its surface and angrily hissed at him. Pritkin, for half a second, wondered why he even had a human drink but quickly dismissed his confusion – he probably only had it for show.

"What have you done mage?" he demanded looking down at his fast reddening blazer and trousers which clashed with his green glasses. They in turn clashed with the purple pencil that was tucked behind his ear.

"I'm looking for Miss Palmer." he said dismissively and turned to Casanova, "Where is she?" he knew Cassie well and had anticipated the she'd most likely asked anyone not to tell him where she was if he turned up so he let a flash of assertiveness fly over his eyes.

Casanova gulped, "Purgatory but she said not to be disturbed… Of course you may be the exception." He hurried when the mage looked even more displeased than before. "There's a portal over there." he pointed a shaky finger over to his left.

The portal was inside a mannequin which wasn't wearing an awful lot. When he immerged from the portal he was stood in a room behind the bar, obscured from the main room by a door. Through the small window he could see Cassie slumped over the bar, glass in hand. She didn't notice him come round the bar. He smelled alcohol on her and she looked fairly drunk which wasn't the best way to be when so many people wanted her dead. He saw no reason for her to be drunk.

"You're very late for training, Miss Palmer."

"I had another vision." She managed to slur. "People sat round a table discussing something. Something bad. Something about a… student. The person is important some how."

She turned to him with half glazed over eyes. But when she fully absorbed who the blonde hair and green eyes belonged to she jumped back in surprise. John was the last person she wanted to see because that meant her vision came back to her. She saw him fall, defeated, onto the blood slick battle ground.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded suddenly sober.

"Taking you back to your house." He took her by her upper arm and pulled her out of her seat.

She began to sluggishly protest but soon saw that her futile attempts were getting her nowhere and gave up opting for the choice that gave less of an audience. Anyway if she put up a big struggle he didn't have any qualms about taking her in a fireman's lift – Mircea had said to bring her back 'safely' not 'without embarrassment'.


	4. Chapter 4

**I promise Ava and Pritkin meet in the next chapter and it gets way more interesting just, please, stick with it and R&R. Unfortunately I don't own any of Karen Chance's characters. **

* * *

Four days had passed and Toby still hadn't woken up. Four days of his impending death on my conscience. Four days of mental torture. I kept on berating myself about it. It wasn't supposed to happen. I hadn't meant for it to happen. That was what made it so bad. If I'd meant to hurt him it wouldn't have been so bad but now I was blaming myself for an accident.

"Ava it's your turn still." Lisa reminded me again.

I hadn't planned on playing in the tournament this term but I seriously needed a distraction otherwise I'd be uselessly hovering at Toby's side beating myself up even more than I already was. At the rate I was going I wasn't going to be playing chess long. I moved a knight and put her in check. Her brown eyes studied the board intently for a few moments before moving a pawn and taking out a bishop. Damn. I really needed to start paying attention to the game. She wasn't in check anymore. I moved a knight to take out the offending pawn and cover a rook. It took us another half hour to finish the game – she won.

Dinner was a daily ritual I didn't want to partake in. It was situated in an off white room that could hold a thousand people at any one time. In the cue for hot food I felt people staring at me and muttering amongst themselves. I did my best to ignore it but when people who normally ignored you are suddenly talking about you behind your back...

I was ignored most of the time, except by the odd few, because I was an orphan. My father abandoned my mother before I was born and she died a couple of hours after child birth. No one had ever told me anything about my mother but they said my magic must come from Dad's line since Mum was a norm as far as they knew. I vaguely remembered Mr. Black telling me that she'd staggered over here, covered in blood and looking frail even though she was only twenty five. Her hair had gone grey and thin. I couldn't imagine her since that was the only description I'd ever been given and I never learnt what happened to make her look like that. I asked but he said he didn't know. Even aged five I knew he was lying.

"She shouldn't have done it." Someone whispered.

"She was jealous because at least Toby has people who care about him."

They were right about that. I didn't have anyone I could say were substitute parents and I was jealous of Toby for that. Even though I'd lived here my entire life and didn't remember anything else I'd never known any adults well enough to say they were parent figures. They were my teachers and they only ever treated me as a pupil. Every couple of months people were allowed to see their families, a chance to get off campus. They could go home and live a normal life for a few short hours. I was allowed off site but could only roam within a five mile radius and even only after they put a tracker spell on me. I would go to town and buy some clothes and stuff for school, eat a McDonalds and have a milkshake but that was all I ever did. I sometimes saw other people from my classes doing the same thing with people who loved them. They would be smiling and laughing, swapping stories and going to the cinema. I went round merely looking for a way to distract myself from the loneliness that had settled around me. Yes I was envious, but what happened was an accident.

"I wonder what her punishment is."

As if living with the guilt of what I'd done wasn't enough they were right that I was going to get punished somehow. It was something that I was bizarrely looking forward to. It meant I had to focus on something else for a while longer than school and homework hours.

* * *

"Are you drunk?" Mircea asked.

Pritkin had almost carried Cassie into their personal suite a few minutes earlier. She was bleary eyed and slow moving.

"No." She muttered like a little child who was trying to avoid being chided.

"I found her in purgatory." Pritkin said and sat in a large chair.

"If you want to get drunk you can do it here. Not at Dante's –"

"Why not? What if I want to get drunk at Dante's?" she demanded.

"Because," Mircea began with a sigh, "the Circles still want you dead, no doubt Tony still wants revenge for you destroying his business and running away. And not to mention that the Fey aren't too pleased with you either. You can't afford to get drunk –"

"I Saw John die! There's nothing I can do about it! I think I can get a little tipsy!"

Pritkin stiffened in his chair his heart pounding. At first he didn't want to believe it. He'd come close to dying before and it had scared him more than he thought it would. He didn't want to experience that again. But he knew that when Cassie Saw something it would inevitably come true no matter what was done to try and prevent it without changing the time line. It was a thought that crossed his mind for only a fraction of a second before he dismissed it. Cassie would never allow him to do that.

"When? Where? How?" he asked flying out of his seat and gripping her biceps. He looked deep into her blue eyes searching for the truth. Begging for an answer. Maybe he couldn't change the past to save himself now, but he could try and save himself when the time came.

Cassie looked into those piercing green eyes for a long moment. She knew he'd been scared before but that fear had only ever entered his voice not his eyes. Now they were awash with fear and asking for help. She knew he had strong preservation instincts but she'd never seen him want to save himself so much. Maybe she could tell him. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

"I'm sorry… I can't…" she looked away from him so she didn't have to see his disappointment.

"Cassie, I need to know!" he shook her to try and make her look at him.

Mircea was stood by Cassie's side in an instant prying John's fingers off her. How dare he do this to her? She was _his_. No one would be allowed to manhandle her. "Pritkin let go." He growled.

"Cassie, tell me!"

"I've told you too much already." Her voice was soft, shaky. Sorrow stricken. When she said it like that he knew she was right.

He didn't want to die but he couldn't stop it at the same time. "I'm sorry." He let her go allowing Mircea to wrap her up in his arms before she started crying and walked out the room. As he left he heard Cassie continually apologise to Mircea for whatever reason.

He didn't fully realise he was heading to the bar until he got there. It was in a small room off to the side of a plush lounge. Dim bulbs provided the only light in the room giving it a melancholy glow. There wasn't anyone behind the bar so he got a whisky glass from the glass fronted cabinet and rounded the bar. He didn't remember seeing so many bottles behind it last time he was here – celebrating Cassie's inauguration – but didn't complain and took a bottle of Scotch over to his seat at the far end of the bar. He poured himself a shot but for a long time didn't drink it. He simply mulled over what happened. He knew he was going to die. He didn't know when, or how. But he wouldn't let it happen if he could help it.

"I'm sorry, John." Cassie said some time later.

"I didn't hear you open the door."

"I didn't. I shifted."

Cassie found it strange that John Pritkin, the reckless, headstrong war mage could look so small and vulnerable. She sat by his side and clasped her hands on top of the counter. She felt bad for him, really bad, but there was nothing she could do even though she was the Pythia.

"Don't feel sorry for me, Miss Palmer." He briskly said shattering the heavy atmosphere. He downed his Scotch, banged the glass on the counter, stood up and strode out the room.

Cassie poured herself a drink using Pritkin's cup and drank it just as quickly as he did.

* * *

I was sitting in my first class of the day, again wondering if it was safe for me to be here.

"Get to work, Ava." Mrs. Grant said giving me a stern look. "It won't kill you."

_It might kill someone else, _I almost muttered as I got to my feet and faced David again. His brown hair had lost some of its usual bounce through being sweat soaked. He was trying to get past my defences and knock me to the floor. He'd managed it once and looked determined to do it again. I put my shields back up and let him fire magic at me. I was only glad our roles weren't reversed. I was still worried about injuring someone else if I used magic and had used as little as possible since the accident.

"Okay time to swap." She called a few minutes later.

I gulped.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" David asked.

I tripped him to the ground and pushed an arm into his neck restricting oxygen flow. He began to go a shade of deep red as I glared into his eyes. "Believe me I'm more likely to punch you to death than kill you with magic." I growled my face an inch away from his.

I was pulled from behind and pushed to the floor. I instantly got back up on reflex but David was blocked from view by Arnold who forcefully pushed me backwards until I was sat on a bench at the far side of the room. When he stopped blocking my field of vision I could see that David was being helped up and Mrs. Grant wasn't looking too pleased. I didn't doubt that I'd get a detention tonight.

I ended up cleaning the toilets in all the corridors which took me most of the night. Surprisingly I managed to work up a sweat but by the time I finished each of them I could see my reflection which was by far the cleanest I'd ever seen any of them. I wasn't sure the punishment would work though. I wasn't going to stop defending myself no matter what punishment they gave me. After all wasn't that the point of our education here? I thought it would be much more productive if the detentions would somehow stretch us and further our education or teach us control – something my teachers said I needed more of.

I trudged back to my room at ten 'o' clock to find Rita forcing herself to stay awake.

"You don't have to stay up you know. I won't come thundering in. Or walk on the rug with muddy boots."

"Toby," as soon as she said it I was on edge. I was expecting it to be bad news. "He opened his eyes earlier."

"That's good." I breathed a sigh of relief. "Really, really good!" I felt relief wash over me. He was finally improving. I flopped onto my bed and let myself relax a bit. He was going to be okay.


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's chapter five. Pritkin finally meets Ava woop! I, although I really wish I did, do not own the characters. **

* * *

She was a dark red head, so dark the red could only be seen when it flashed in the light. Bright as day blue eyes looked angry but also pain filled.

Cassie's vision didn't disturb her as such but confused her. She didn't know what she'd Seen this girl for or even who she was. But she felt important. Crucial even.

"You seem to be somewhere else this evening, dulceaţă. What's wrong?" Mircea asked.

Cassie didn't look away from the window which looked over the now dark gardens. She could just make out the shape of the pond but only because of the moonlight that shone off it. "Confused." She said helplessly.

Mircea stood from the sofa he'd been occupying and crossed the room to stand behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her relax against him letting her head rest against his chest. Her hair brushed against his bare arm sending shivers along the skin it touched making his heart leap.

"I think she might be in danger. The girl from my last vision." She thought back to the vision of people discussing something. For some reason she was convinced the two visions were linked. "It's like they're planning to cause her pain. I'm not sure what's going on. Or what I'm meant to do. If I have to change it or if this is supposed to happen."

"You'll figure it out, dulceaţă. All will be well."

"I hope so."

"I have faith in you."

Cassie turned in his arms and let herself become lost in his dark eyes and the sensual curve of his lips. She felt her heart rate rise by astounding amounts as it always did when she was around him but she was always amazed at his effect on her. Gladly giving into her desires she stood on her toes and gently put her lips to his. Basking in his warmth and gentle touch, he kissed her back and skilfully slid a hand from her hips to her hair and she forgot all her worries. In that moment only he existed. Soon the kiss became deeper, headier. Mircea didn't complain. Whilst she'd been absorbing the painful truth of her visions Cassie had been distant, almost reclusive. The tug of her teeth on his lower lip was enough to send him to the moon and back. She let out a soft moan when his hand slipped from her waist to rest gently on the side of her hip.

She froze as the beginnings of yet another vision came to mind. _She was stood on the battlefield she'd previously Seen. People were still fighting. Cries of agony filled the air as did determined shouts and explosions. The sky was filled with magic. Everywhere she looked shields of magic were protecting their occupants. Pritkin was near by, as was Mircea. _

_Pritkin fell. _

_Someone screamed. _

_She looked over her shoulder. It was the girl from the other vision. A tall, pale redhead with piercing blue eyes. Pain filled. _

_But not the same pain as last time, _Cassie thought.

"Cassie?" Mircea asked shaking her slightly now the vision seemed to have faded.

"Yeah. I'm fine." She replied distractedly.

* * *

I'd been called to the headmaster's office. Again. I arrived at o7:15 sharp and rapped my knuckles on the door.

"Come in." Mr. Black said. "Ah, Ava, take a seat." He gestured to the usual seat I took.

I knew that gesture well. It meant that I'd overstepped the line and he had some bad news for me. Normally when I was brought here, even if it was because I was in trouble again he let me sit down in my own time. But when he had a bombshell to drop… well, he did this. This time he looked even more… tense… than normal. He was sat up very straight in his chair and clasped his hands together on the desk. He didn't look at me straight away either. Not the best sign I'd ever had.

"You wanted to see me sir?" I asked trying to hide my apprehension though I suspected I'd failed.

He looked me right in the eye. I almost flinched. "You can't stay here."

I really hadn't expected that. Okay so what happened with Toby was bad, real bad, and I suspected they would take some precautionary measures but I never for a moment thought they'd do this. "…Wh – what?"

"I'm sorry, Ava, but…" He paused to try and soften the blow but the blow had already been dealt. "Whilst I, and the rest of the staff here, believe that you will be one of the most exceptional mages we've ever trained we think the risk you pose to the group far outweighs the benefits of keeping you here."

"Well… What's going to happen to me?" I could fast feel tears brimming but I would not _cry_.

"We've discussed the new situation your magic has presented us with and - " I just knew I would not like this. He never did this to me. He normally just came out with it. "We've decided that you can undergo the final trials early. You'll take them tomorrow evening after dinner. If you pass you'll be a true war mage."

"If I fail?"

"You'll be taken to the head of the Circle and he will decide what the do with you. It's your choice but if you don't take the trials you'll go to him anyway."

"Not much of a choice. I'll do it."

"Tomorrow, half an hour after dinner. Go to the trials room and you'll do the trial. Dismissed."

* * *

"Right, Miss LeFay, you'll be working doubly hard today if you want to be warmed up for your trials in the evening." Mr. Hill, the advanced magic teacher, said crisply when I turned up late again. It was last lesson and I was beginning to feel nervous about the trials and had managed to get delayed on the way across the corridor.

"Uh, call me crazy but don't I need to rest a bit before the trials?"

"You will do as you are told!" he whipped round and cut me a glare.

"Oaky, okay, chill out!" I held my hands up in surrender.

_Jesus what did I do?_ I'd barely ever heard him raise his voice, not even with me so this was something new. On the rare occasions that he did shout his facial and physical expression remained calm and relaxed. Something seemed wrong. He had no real reason to be tense. The most that could be wrong with him was he'd had a bad day but normally he had a very good professional working relationship with everyone, it was strange.

I began to have a mini fight with Arnold. He put up his usual defences which we're beginning to get boring. He protected with stone that my water defence could easily crumble and I was soon throwing magic at him. Not as much as normal though as I didn't want to hurt him. Not too much any way. By the end of the lesson I was feeling not so bad about the trials. Arnold was the best person in the class and I'd managed to beat him every time we fought. It couldn't be so different could it?

"Ava." Sir grabbed my arm just as I was leaving the room at the end of class, "I'm sorry." He said gravely.

"It's okay." I shrugged. "You've had a bad day so what?" he released me and I walked back to my room to get osme peace adn quiet before the trial.

It worked until Rita came back.

"How you feeling about –"

"Don't." I cut her off. "Not thinking about it on purpose." I had to leave in ten minutes. I was trying to stay calm and focused. I didn't want to be tense when I got in there because I knew it would distract me.

The walk there seemed to pass far too quickly. The bland white corridors were suddenly interesting shattering whatever focus I'd been building for the last half hour. I only allowed myself to be frustrated for half a second before becoming calm again. The door to the trials room was right ahead of me. Now all I had to do was pass. _Good luck, Ava. _

The room was down a corridor that was long but short at the same time. The ceiling arched high above and was lit by torches of fire. The door was red. A sign of danger. Taking full head of this early warning I cracked open the door. Which took much more effort than I thought it would. The door, whilst tall, looked really light as if it was made from plastic. I began to suspect it was made from oak or something as it creaked on its hinges. I closed it behind me and then looked around. The room was perfectly octagonal. All the walls were white and the floor was black as was the ceiling making the room feel oppressively small making me want to duck even though there was plenty of headroom.

Although the room hadn't been used since the trials last year it felt as though it had been abandoned for even longer than that. I let my senses attune to the space and could soon feel old battle scarred memories and impressions in the air pressed against me. Battles lost, battles won, stalemates endured all trying to frighten me away jostled for position closest to me. I pushed them away and looked to the wall opposite me.

All my teachers were lined up against it. Some were staring straight ahead, others having muffled conversations with each other. Suddenly the true weight of what was happening fell on my shoulders like a lead weight. I was taking the trials early. And I didn't want to disappoint any of them. I was a good mage I knew that. But could I really do this? Could I pull all my skills together and defeat whoever I was going to be up against? Could I survive?

"Welcome, Ava." Mr. Black said taking a step forward. "Your weapons are over there." he pointed to my left.

Stacked against the wall were some training knives, a sword and some potions. I knew that the potions we used in trials were non permanent, but caused just as much pain as the real ones. One thing was for sure, I didn't want to get any of those over me. I belted the knives to my thighs, the sword to my hip and the potions to my waist checking what was in there. Mostly stuff that induced pain – no big deal.

"You'll be fighting an old pupil of ours – Damien."

He was a very tall, overly muscular man but I could use his weight against him. I hoped he'd use nothing but brute strength but I doubted it. They'd more than likely picked someone who looked clueless but was in actual fact a tactful warrior. It was just my luck.

_

* * *

_

_She fell to the floor of her classroom. Almost dead. The tall brassy haired mage took three steps towards her closing the distance between them. He was going to finish her off. From the air Cassie could see scared blue eyes looking back at her. Eyes she'd come to know as well as her own in the past week. _

"Pritkin!" She shrieked hoping he would hear. He had better hearing than most but even his hearing had limits.

Rafe burst through the door, "Mia stella, what's wrong?" He was by her side in a flash holding both her hands rubbing soothing circles into them.

"Pritkin where is he?" she asked again raising to her feet.

"I don't know. Is he in trouble?"

"No. I need to find him." Cassie was beginning to panic. The girl from the battle field was going to die. Soon. And she wasn't supposed to. She was supposed to be at the battle. But if she didn't do anything she'd be dead in a few minutes.

"Calm down, mia stella. Calm down."

Cassie normally found comfort in Rafe's voice and calm manner but she barely heard him. Her breathing almost turned into hyperventilation but she managed to control herself. She looked at Rafe but he had that vacant look all vampires got when they were communicating with each other long distance without a phone.

"He's on duty, just came inside."

Cassie left the room at a run desperate to find him. The thought of shifting straight over there, to the blue eyed girl, was tempting but she had no idea where 'there' was and she would most likely land in the middle of the fight with her luck. Rafe had raced ahead at vampire speed no doubt to send Pritkin to meet her. She almost slipped down the marble steps to the ground floor in the dim light but a strong hand caught her. She looked up to see Pritkin's calculating, green eyes looking back at her.

* * *

I stood in the centre of the room as per my instructions. The mage faced me, calm and controlled. I thought about calling my shields only to realise they were already in place. I must have subconsciously put them up when I was preparing myself.

He faced me now and his gray eyes bored into me in an attempt to unsettle me, make me unsure of myself, my abilities. My magic. The first step was to find what he protected with. Fire. That made two of us. A wall of fire came my way and I let a whirlwind of fire meet his flames scattering them. He gave in first opting to throw some magic my way. I dodged, content in letting him tire himself first. A blast of icy air came my way to try and knock out my shields. My fire instantly became searingly hot, melting the ice and drying the air. I threw a bolt of magic his way throwing him off his feet and slamming him into the floor. He sprang back up in a flash and sprinted over to me. So it was going to come to a good old fashioned brawl very quickly. Oh well, come what may. I braced myself for impact but it never came. He slowed down slightly as he came to meet me. I took the advantage and punched him really hard in the temple. He staggered back a few steps giving me enough room to kick him in the stomach. I pulled a knife into each hand but I was knocked head over heels letting the weapons go as I smashed into the floor. I cried out in pain feeling air rush out of my lungs.

I knew this would be hard but not this hard. This was insane. I felt a small glass bottle hit my arm and a burning itch spread across my skin. I resisted the urge to scratch it as it climbed my face and threatened to get in my eyes. I rolled away just as another assault came sailing over head. It found the wall raining pieces of plaster over me. I threw a mild blast of magic his way allowing me to get up. He bounced it back amplifying its effects as he did so. I somersaulted out the way and bounced back up. He didn't look overly pleased that I was still moving around and reached for the long sword he'd so far kept hidden. I scrambled for the knives I'd dropped and paused to catch my breath and allowing the skills I'd learnt a few months ago come rushing back to me.

He ran towards me eyes narrowed. I scrambled out the way bending as I did so to give him a couple of healthy bruises to his right knee as I passed. I twisted round behind him and smacked the hilt of a knife into his head and thwacked the other one on his left shoulder. He staggered. I took a few steps back to give me some more room. In a faster motion than I thought humanly possible he whipped back round touching the sword to my arm.

Pain flared in my arm. Light flashed on his blade. That wasn't supposed to happen on our dull training weapons. No. He had a special one. His own maybe. Made to look like a real weapon. I backed up ready to attack. But, damn, I couldn't lift my arm. He paused a sneer on his face. I chanced a look down at my right arm. My stronger arm. The arm that normally saved my life. Blood. _No. _

I looked round asking for help sure this was all a mistake. No one looked at me. They all passively looked ahead.

He grabbed a handful of my hair and forced me to the floor. The sword was poised at my neck.

* * *

"What's wrong?" Pritkin asked.

"We have to save her." Cassie replied letting Pritkin pull her up.

"Who?"

"I don't know her name. She's – "

"Where?"

"I don't – "

"Cassie we can't go waltzing in somewhere to save someone you don't know."

"I wasn't going to waltz. I was going to shift."

"Cassie," he said firmly, disapprovingly, "you don't know – "

Cassie stopped listening to him. Someone was going to die today who needed to be in the future. That called for action, not arguments. All she had to do was convince him to go.

_Why do that? _She thought. _He's already armed and all I need is contact. _

She grabbed his wrist and _shifted. _

* * *

Fear spiked in me. A lot of fear. I hadn't trained to prepare myself for the moment I died. _Because you're not supposed to die. _I took a deep breath and cleared my mind. He was standing with his legs apart. I rolled backwards between them kicking him in the balls on my way. He crumpled. I heard the sword clatter to the floor. To my disappointment I didn't hear a cry of pain as he fell on top of it. Whilst he was distracted I let my water defence reach his fire shields extinguishing them in a moment. I threw bolt after bolt of magic his way. He deflected most sending an array of colours bouncing round the room. I captured some of them in an invisible web and hurled them at him. He fell to the floor. I'd used up a lot of energy and felt sweat dip from my brow and drench my hair. My breathing came heavily.

He got back up and threw another potion at me at the same time as four spells. Heavily I fell to the floor. I heard his footsteps come towards me. Every time I tried to get up I sagged back to the floor. I felt a boot poke me in the ribs and turn me over.

Gray eyes looked triumphantly at me, a smirk on his face. I malevolently glared back at him.

"It's such a shame you _are_ an _excellent_ war mage."

So I passed. Fantastic. Maybe this is what Mr Hill had meant when he said sorry.

"Do your worst." I gritted my teeth and said it with as much attitude as I could muster.

He, whilst looking completely pissed off at my insolence, paused for a split second. It was all I needed. Even if this killed me I wasn't going to go down without a fight. I closed my eyes and put as much force behind the attack as I possibly could. I felt life drain out of me. But I was awake enough to realise that what happened next was… unusual to say the least. Instead of flying backwards he was suspended in mid air.

The people around the room gasped and shouted. More magic was thrown around. Not by me. Or Damien. Whatever. Lethargically, I rolled out from under my cover and had to quickly roll back so I didn't get my face fried. I saw a knife come flying my way but not soon enough. It embedded itself in my hand pinning me to the floor. I didn't have time to scream before I passed out.

* * *

Cassie and Pritkin landed at the edge of the room. A tall, brassy haired man was looking over girl. The girl they were supposed to save. Pritkin knew that if they were to go through with the crazy plan then he would have to surprise the audience. He threw an attack at the man that should have sent him crashing into the far wall sailing over the girl's head. But he hovered in thin air. Stuck between two spells. She must have defended herself at the same time he attacked.

Magic flew at him from all directions. Fortunately his shields were some of the best around. Cassie had already shifted to the girl's side.

"Pritkin! Get over here now!" she screamed.

He'd heard her scream for his help before, on many occasions, but this was somehow different. Bad different. Time was of the essence. He bounced numerous spells back to their owners as he hurried across the room. He half knelt half fell to Cassie's side. The girl's hand was pinned to the floor. Blood was flowing from the wound in a steady river. Her hand was slender, like a piano players, nails looked perfectly crafted although he would have easily bet she didn't spend much time on them.

He looked at the girls face and was completely enraptured. She was filled with such an exquisite beauty he could hardly breathe. And somehow, even by just looking at her he could tell the beauty extended inside too. She was familiar to him somehow. There was, even in her unconsciousness, a graceful poise about her that suggested something more than human. Everything about her had him stunned to immobility. Her eyes, although closed held his attention. Long, thick lashes dusted her lower lids casting shadows over her cheek bones, a few freckles coloured her nose and just under here eyes. Her lips were full, almost heart shaped. She was pale which meant her freckles could have come from just five minutes in weak light.

Rakshasas loomed overhead.

"Can you shift with the knife?" he calmly asked extending his shields to cover the two women.

Wondering how Pritkin was managing to remain calm when magic was being fired at them Cassie shouted, "Maybe. Hold on."


	6. Chapter 6

**New chapter - this one has some more Pritkin. From here on in he's more involved since he's met Ava. I DO NOT OWN any charcters. But I wish I did. Please enjoy and R&R**

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* * *

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"Cassie!" Mircea said in surprise when they landed in the middle of the living room. He hadn't even realised she'd gone which angered him. He was supposed to protect Cassie, not let her wander through time without knowing.

"Mademoiselle?" Louie-Cesar gasped. "What happened?"

Cassie stood up. "Someone help her." she almost screeched.

The girl was unconscious and blood was still weeping from her hand. Rafe gently pulled Cassie away from the scene and sat her on a large chair. "Mia stella, calm down. Calm down."

"You don't understand. She has to survive. She's in our future. She has to get better!"

"Mia stella, calm yourself. She will be alright. Mircea has a healer here who will sort to it. Calm down."

Louie-Cesar swiftly took the girl from the room and relative calm was restored.

"Mia stella, you are hurt." Rafe knelt by her side leaving room for Mircea.

"What? No it's just a scratch. Mircea, is she going to be okay?"

Pritkin spoke up, "She was mostly exhausted from using too much magic. She will be fine."

Cassie nodded and composed herself.

"You didn't tell me you were gone." Mircea said rubbing soothing circles into her hands. He looked up at her with concern in his eyes and was saddened to see Cassie's guilt filled look.

"I'm sorry I didn't have time. If we delayed –"

"We would have known the trouble you'd shifted us into and been better prepared." Pritkin accused.

"If we waited she'd have been dead!" Cassie flew from her seat and looked him in the eye. But as always his green ones won the battle between them. "You know how it is, Pritkin. I jump, you come with me. I can't help it if _you_ don't have time to get ready." She sat back down and took the small glass of water that Rafe offered.

Pritkin stopped by the room that had been allocated to the girl a few hours later. She was still soundly sleeping. Her hand had been healed but the vampire who did the healing said that although she had a sliced top and there was blood where there should have been a wound there was no mark to be seen. It was strange that a human had healing powers such as the ones she appeared to possess. He looked at the arm in question and saw that the vampires were right. He'd seen the blood on her t-shirt but now there was nothing. Confusion swept over him but he pushed it back. No doubt a lot would be explained when she awoke.

Cassie slipped into the room just after sun set the next day. The girl she'd come to know so well was still asleep. Beneath the covers she looked like a normal, harmless teenager. She brushed a soft strand of hair out of the girl's softly closed eye suddenly wishing she could have children just like any other clairvoyant. Unfortunately she was the Pythia, the world's _chief_ clairvoyant. Not only was it too dangerous to have a child she was also with a vampire making it impossible. A sad, regretful feeling passed over her but she wouldn't leave Mircea – she loved him too much.

"I know, Cassie." Mircea said and wrapped his arms around her. She hadn't even heard him enter. Only then did it occur to her that he'd been around for hundreds of years and had not had the chance to have a child. It must have been so, so hard on him. So hard she couldn't imagine. She rested her head against his chest and let his breathing sooth her.

Three days later Pritkin peeped round the girl's door again. When he first saw her something about her was strangely familiar but he didn't know what. He thought that seeing her again would make him remember. Instead he was almost startled when her right leg twitched under the covers. He softly closed the door and leant over her. Her eyes cracked open, fell closed and opened again. She jerked back suddenly fully aware.

Even those few seconds were enough to give Pritkin an explanation as to how she'd healed so fast. He sensed the different magic within her. A magic that _needed_ to destroy. She was a –

* * *

"What are you doing?" I asked indignantly. A strange man was looking at me with a weird mix of confusion and wonder on his face. He quickly rearranged his features to some sort of other expression.

"You're fully recovered then." He, I decided, looked slightly – rather annoyingly – amused.

"What the hell –" Flashes of the fight came back. All six of my teachers stood back and let _Damien_ almost kill me. Then him suspended in mid air. The knife… I looked at my left hand surprised that it wasn't bandaged, further still that there wasn't a mark on it. There wasn't any pain in my right arm either and when I looked down I saw that even that skin was unblemished.

"The vampires healed you." The man said.

I snapped my head up. "Vampires?" I involuntarily squeaked. He had to be lying but those green, green eyes spoke the truth. "I'm in a," I looked around properly.

I was in a large room that had paintings on the walls and ceiling that looked as though they'd been painted by Michael Angelo which weren't to be out done by the opulence of the rest of the room. The furniture was all heavy looking antiques which would have perfectly fit in a seventeenth century house. It was all dark wood that could have been mahogany. Wealth screamed out of every texture and surface right from the four poster bed and its lavish covers in which I found myself, down to the plush, cream carpet. I looked back at him. He had a light dusting of stubble on his face that I could only just see in this light. He had blonde hair that was just long enough to cover his ears and the back of his neck. The slight fringe naturally spiky. Thin, pale lips began to quirk in slight amusement.

"Where am I?"

"Lord Mircea's court." He gave me a minute to remember why I'd heard the name and put it to a place.

"Washington? I'm in Washington!" _Okay. No need to freak out. I'm only the other side of the world. _I thought slowly. _Don't freak in front of the man. You don't want to embarrass yourself. _But, damn, I was in a house full of vampires. "You are a mage aren't you?" he had that look about him. A certain… self assured confidence.

"Yes." He nodded slowly.

"And you live with vampires?" I said slowly.

"Yes." He said even slower.

"And you're okay with that?" I asked just as slowly raising an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Are you crazy?" I asked at lightening speed suddenly exploding. "What's wrong with you man? Vampires are vulgar creatures who need –"

"Destroying?" an amused voice asked. It took me a moment to realise it came from my companion. How could he joke about something like this? This was life and death. "I've come to terms with them not being as bad as the circle say. I disagree with their feeding and punishment rituals. But I have to live here."

"No you don't."

"I do." he nodded in that slow motion again. "I protect the Pythia. I have to."

"You protect our _chief clairvoyant_?" _Wow I was with a god._

"Yes. She brought you here. She's anxious to meet you."

This was unexpected. I was only a lowly, newly-passed-her-trials war mage. I hadn't done anything of any importance or achievement. It didn't make sense that she wanted to see me. I tried to remember her face from the fight. All I could remember was a warm hand on my face.

"When does she want to meet me?" I calmly asked surprised at me newly found control.

"She won't be awake for a few hours yet. You should get some breakfast though." he moved so I could get out of bed. I was dressed in someone else's pyjamas – silky black ones with pink polka-dots, slightly unsteady on my feet.

He opened the door to an equally sumptuous, wide corridor. This one had cream walls but the ceiling was painted with the same detail as the one in the bedroom. Red curtains hung in the tall windows letting light stream into the place. Some part of me realised that the vampires wouldn't be waking for a few hours so it was safe for the human staff to let light into the building. No dust floated in the pools of light and the air was fresh, not wintery like back in England. It looked to be spring here. Trees stood proud and tall in the extensive gardens and a pond shimmered in the sunlight. We came to a vast open space where we could see the height of the entire building. We were three stories up, the top floor, and looking over the rest of the house via the grand staircase. The stairs were at both sides of the balcony we were on meeting in the middle at the second floor and separating as they reached the bottom in an elegant 'X' shape. Red carpets ran up the middle of the marble stairs and gold banisters ran alongside them and on the top of the waist high wall that kept people from falling off the balconies. Opposite us was a large wall that had the arched door way far below surrounded by a work in progress piece of art. I couldn't see much of it from here but it had lots of green at the bottom as well as muted shades of other colours.

We walked down the stairs in silence, the man nodding at the sentinel who stood in the middle. She was a short woman who looked deadly nonetheless. I guessed the vampire wanted the best protection out there and from what I'd seen he could more than afford it. When we got to the ground floor we swiftly turned right and went down another wide corridor which supported many statues of people and animals. We passed thee widely spaced doors before turning left and into a small kitchen.

It had a black tiled floor and worktops with white cupboards and a black fridge-freezer. A breakfast bar jutted into the centre of the stylish room doubling up as a preparation area. He gestured me to a seat and rummaged in the fridge for a few minutes. He came out with an armful of stuff that looked like it could be an English Breakfast. I was killing for one of those _so bad_. He smiled a wry smile, probably at seeing me practically drooling, and began cooking. He had a mug of coffee whilst he was cooking and poured another one when he sat down to eat.

"You know that much coffee really isn't good for you." I said taking a knife and fork from him. He took a sharp knife from the table top letting it glint slightly in the light. I flinched knowing how much those kind of things hurt.

"It's early I need coffee." He said shortly and turned round to cut the rind off a few more rashers of bacon. Case closed.

Okay. Note to self – don't get in the way of the war mage if he's not had enough coffee.

I ate the food barely letting it touch the sides and made a cup of tea with a splash of milk, no sugar, clinking the spoon on the side of the cup once I'd stirred it. I realised just how British I was. All I needed was the saucer and I'd be made.

"Hey, Pritkin! I got clothes for the girl like Mircea asked. Is she –" I poked my head from round the fridge door a yoghurt in one hand chocolate and cold pizza in another. "Ah she's awake then."

I wasn't however listening to him. Pritkin. That name I _did_ know. How had I not put two and two together before now? I'd been told that the guy who protects the Pythia is called Pritkin. Why it hadn't clocked before now I had no idea. Maybe I was still slightly concussed or something.

My train of thought was interrupted when the new guy ruffled my shoulder length hair. "You hungry, kid?" he asked a smile on his lips.

"My name is Ava." I side stepped him and put my food on the able, "And yes I am. And I'm not a kid. I'm nearly eighteen." I munched on the margarita pizza and sipped some more tea.

I pulled the clothes that had been dumped on Pritkin's side of the table over and had a look at them. I had dark blue jeans, a low cut, black top and jacket as well as some plain underwear. I wondered how he'd felt going shopping for those particular items. On the floor were some kickass looking boots and a bag of bathroom stuff. I glanced back up at him and noticed the ring on his left hand. No doubt he'd got his wife to go shopping for him. "Thanks." I smiled.

He left a few minutes later.

"You didn't tell me your name's Pritkin." I said eating the yoghurt.

"You didn't ask." He was looking at today's paper and didn't look away from it when he spoke.

"But you're the Pritkin Jonas raves on about whenever he visits. He always mentions you and how you drove the car to the centre of the ley lines and saved everyone." I said feeling an excited light spark behind my eyes.

"That was Cassie's idea." He still didn't look away but lifted his cup to his lips. He blew on it for a second before sipping, every move calculated but natural at the same time.

"Cassie? As in Lady Cassandra?" He nodded. Wow. He was on a first name basis and everything. "What's she –"

"Don't you think you better get your strength up before you meet her and get dressed?" he asked still not looking away from the paper.

He had a very big point. I did not want to appear weak in front of her. I didn't care what the Circle said about wanting the Pythia dead I wouldn't follow those orders. The only reason they put the bounty on her head was because they couldn't control her and were scared of her which seemed stupid to me. The Pythia's job was protecting the time line and sorting out differences between people, not using her power to gain everything she could. It seemed to me that for all the Circle's strength they feared a lot of things they had no reason to fear. Then again it wasn't Jonas – the head of the Circle – who wanted her dead – it was everyone else. Well, whatever the majority wanted I would give my life if it meant her living, even if only slightly longer.

The food I'd taken out the fridge was gone in a matter of seconds and I was pointed to a small toilet. The clothes fitted me as if I'd brought them myself. Even the shoes fitted and I had awkward narrow feet. I found a bobble on a shelf and tied my hair into a high pony tale so it was out of my face. There was a cut on my left cheek that I hadn't noticed when I woke up and a friction burn on my right temple. A light brown burn stained my left arm where the potion had landed. It travelled up my white arm and neck and painted my cheek, bleeding into the cut and feathering my lower lashes. It was a close one, had it gone half a millimetre further I probably would have been blinded. It would slowly fade over time so the vampires probably thought it wasn't necessary to fix it. They obviously didn't think about the emotional scars of having to put up with burned skin for ages. Well a few weeks. I wouldn't however let it phase me when I met the Pythia.

I took a few minutes to wash my face, neck and hands before stepping out. Pritkin was waiting for me leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His biceps gently pulled the thin fabric of his t-shirt over the taught muscle quite nicely. When my eyes lingered there a split second too long he slowly stood up and walked further down the corridor.

_Come on, Ava. You don't even know him. You're just a little star struck. _I mean, he was the official protector of the Pythia, the best war mage turned rogue, the best daemon hunter out there. _And he's got a nice butt… Cut it out, Ava!_ I quickly caught up with him and easily fell instep with his long strides – I was used to being the shortest in the class and had never wanted to appear incompetent in front of the guys so I was already used to it. He glanced at me from the corner of his eye looking amused. I hoped it wasn't at my incessant question asking earlier. Or him finding my momentary state of single track mindedness funny.

He opened a door that lead out to an immaculate lawn which was overlooked by the western skies. It looked as though the sun would be setting in a few hours. Off to the far left was a stone structure that was made up of a raised floor, a few columns and a roof that looked to be a shade of pink. It was the only thing obscuring the horizon.

He turned round and threw magic at me. And again when I didn't attempt to get off the floor.

"Defend yourself, Ava!" he shouted.

_What the hell? _


	7. Chapter 7

**Been a bit longer in updating than usual but here it is - the next chapter. Hope you like it please R&R :) Oh, I don't own any of Karen Chance's characters :( **

* * *

He threw some more magic at me but I bounced it back. As I did I realised that his magic was different to all the other people's I'd fought against. Different like mine. Some instinct drove me to fire a bolt of magic that was stronger than I'd dared to use in weeks. He staggered backwards and cut me a glare so strong I gulped thinking I'd raised a beast from the depths of hell. It was in his eyes, a certain blood lust that told me he would kill me given the chance.

_Why me? _I thought. _What the hell did I do to deserve this? _

I stood up properly and re-enforced my shields. And called ghostly knives to my side, something I should have done in that fight at school. Damn, if I'd have thought of that then…

He ran at me, a determined light in his eye. I braced myself for the inevitable impact. And dodged out the way at the last minute. I spun round and threw more magic into his back. He flew into the air and heavily landed ten feet further than where he'd left the ground. He whacked his head on a rock that I hadn't previously seen. Regardless of my own safety I dashed over to him.

Blood was splattered on the rock and grass. His body was slack – unconscious.

"Shit." I muttered and looked around for help.

I felt his shoulder move beneath my hand. I looked back at him to see his eyes open and look at me in wonder. He roughly put a hand in my hair and kissed me. I knew when he was pulling me towards him what would happen but I couldn't stop it. Even though he was only semi-conscious he was stronger than me. The kiss was long and rough, desperate even. I suspected that it was because he knew this was the last kiss he'd ever have and he wanted to savour it. Since I was the one who killed him I didn't object. I even found that I kissed him back – not that he left me much option not to. As he kissed me his lips became warmer… so warm and wonderful I'd forgotten I was being kissed by a man who was just almost old enough to be my father. Still I was surprised and somehow sad when the contact ended. More surprised still when he stood up as if nothing had happened.

_

* * *

_

_Shit_, Pritkin thought as he went flying up in the air. He knew there was nothing he could do to soften his landing or even change the direction of his fall. Not this late. He cringed into himself knowing that hitting the rock would probably kill him.

For what seemed like ages he lay on the floor, his head connected to the rock. He'd known he was going to die. Somehow knowing his death was imminent was a comfort – he wouldn't have to wonder if it was just around the corner any more. He never thought he'd be killed by a teenager who didn't have even a fraction of the years he had, didn't think he'd be killed giving a test to a girl to see how powerful she really was, how strong her survival instincts were.

_As long as she's in the battle Cassie saw, _he thought to himself, _then I've done my job. _

Unconsciousness beckoned and swallowed him in its infinite blackness.

Fragile hands gripped his shoulders making him rise above the dark ocean that was leading to his death. A panicked voice sounded through whatever stupor he'd been in and brought him round. He opened his eyes.

An angel was hovering over him. She was beautiful. Not exactly what he'd imagined an angel to look like but beautiful still. It was the imperfections that made her that way. Dirt dusted her cheek; pain filled her eyes, guilt. No angel should be guilty. All they had to give was life, safety and sanctuary. She slowly became familiar, dark red hair, blue eyes; skin that he somehow knew was silky smooth. She had a face he would remember a millennia from now. A face of beauty that even angels and archangels would be jealous of.

With a weak hand he slowly reached up to her. She didn't protest. Not even when he twined his fingers in her hair and pulled her closer. Her lips were soft, warm. He knew this would be his last kiss. Something within her seemed to recognise that too and she didn't deny him what he was asking. She subconsciously deepened the kiss, her lips moving with his. Passion began to roll off her.

That passion triggered something inside of him that had to survive no matter the odds, no matter what the Pythia had foreseen, no matter how close to death he was or could make another person. Age old techniques kicked into gear at high speed. Bone began to fuse together, skin healed up, blood replaced. He was healed. He didn't stop kissing her.

He didn't want to. It wasn't the same as kissing Cassie. When he'd last saved himself like this he did it methodically, only doing what he had to and almost let himself become absorbed in what he was doing, almost let himself kill her out of a pure need to feed. _This_ woman, however, brought forth such strong feelings he knew he'd go to the ends of the earth and back in a heartbeat for her. For this woman he knew this much: he loved her. He basked in her warmth, her gentle touch and her sensuous kisses. Everything about this seemed right. A voice within him whispered: _her,_ _love her. _

An image of his dead wife shattered his bliss. He jerked away from her and stood up.

The woman looked at him in wonder. Ava. Pritkin's heart swelled at the mere sight of her. Yet, he couldn't let it happen. He'd already killed one woman through selfishness, he wouldn't make the mistake again. He wouldn't let himself. He didn't want to be the one who took her beauty away from the world. Even as he denied his feelings he knew he'd never be able to stop feeling the way he did.

_I'm so screwed. _He mentally slapped himself. _Get a grip, John. _

* * *

I looked up at him surprised. No one should have survived that fall. But his head was fully repaired. The bone had fused back together and the skin had healed over. Just like that. The only sign that something had ever happened to him was the blood over his head and shoulder and his slightly pale look.

The only creatures that could do that were… Incubi.

_Lady Cassandra_, I whispered to myself.

She was in trouble. She always had been. I had to do something. Anything to warn her. An incubus would do anything to kill her. Any one of them would love to get her hands on her to get in good with _Rossier_. I had to do something and I had to do something now. Before I knew what I was doing I was running across the lawn towards the door we'd come out of. I heard him following me but I'd be damned if I'd let him catch me. I sped up and reached the door just as it was being opened. I ran into it any way.

But the person who was in the way didn't move as I'd hoped they would. There were no signs of a stagger of any sort. I looked up at the man who was bracing my arms. A vampire. Lord Mircea to be exact.

"Cassandra is in danger." I gasped.

"I know." He said in an off hand way as if he'd known for a long time.

"Well do something!" I wasn't bothered about proper protocol or procedure. This was the _Pythia_ we were talking about.

"There's nothing I can…"

"There's nothing… There's an Incubus running along the lawn to get her! Damn it Mircea, do something!"

"Are you going to harm her, John?" he calmly asked.

I turned round to see the Incubus stood calmly in the door way. His amused green eyes looked down on me for a second. Realising Mircea was still holding me up I stood properly and cursed myself for not hearing his approach. I guessed the ordinary name he'd acquired was so he could easily move through society without anyone batting an eyelid. Just like he'd done with Mircea.

"No." he said.

I looked back to Mircea who calmly looked back down at me a smile playing on his lips. "You trust… hang on a minute! He tried to kill me! He's a daemon! You…"

"I am not a daemon!" Pritkin said tightly carefully controlling his anger.

Even though he kept himself from knocking me into next year I knew he was having a hard time controlling himself. I'd never much been scared by people threatening me but Pritkin beat all the guys back home to dust.

Mircea stood between us, shielding me from view. I stood still for a few moments unable to see anything but Mircea's back.

"Come with me, Ava." Pritkin said with more control.

Mircea turned to me when I refused to say anything and gave me a pointed look. Guessing I was only here not being eaten for lunch was because of Lady Cassandra, I made the decision to go along with it and pretend I wasn't as scared or confused as I really was.

"Not going to try and kill me are you?" I sneered trying to conceal my true feelings.

"No." he turned on his heel and walked back towards the kitchen.

So the vampire was trusting an Incubus to protect the Pythia. The lady he loved. _What the hell? Does nothing they teach us matter in the real world? _I thought.

I didn't move for a few moments, unconvinced of my safety. Mircea gestured with his head that I was to follow. Reluctantly I obeyed, glancing skywards again asking, "What have I done to deserve this?"

Pritkin, who had worked some magic on his no longer blood splattered clothes, opened a hidden door and let me go in front of him. There wasn't a lot of light but I worked some magic that allowed me to see as if it were as bright as day. There was a spiralling staircase that he pointed me down. It took a while to get down there and several times I thought I was going to fall over from dizziness. I could tell that the stairs weren't often used because they weren't worn from over use nor were there any candles hung on the walls. Quite creepily our footsteps didn't echo but fell on dead air that became stale the further down we got. When we eventually got to the bottom I had to stop for a minute to let my ears catch up with me so I would stop being dizzy.

We were in a large space that was set out as a training room. Dummies were stood in rows in the centre behind which were treadmills and cycling machines. There were some weights set up along the right wall and rowing machines were along the left wall. So they had their own gym. Nice. He walked over to the dummies beckoning me to follow. I had to go through my usual warm up routine which was a combination of kicks and punches mostly in the stomach and chest region of the dummy. I asked why.

"Because if I'm to train you I need to know what you can do."

"I was the best in the advanced class. I just almost killed you."

"Still not good enough. Show me."

I gritted my teeth and told myself to not expect any praise from an Incubus. I got to work kicking and punching for way longer than I normally would for the warm up since every time I slowed down I felt his angry glare so I picked up the pace and didn't stop until he told me to. Then he told me to do it all over again but with more speed and power. I looked at him with wide eyes. There wasn't any extra speed or power in me. I was going full steam as it was.

"Bring anger into it. Think of how you felt when you almost got killed at school."

"Scared shitless." I admitted out loud even though I hadn't meant to.

"And angry." He said quietly, pensively.

I didn't doubt for a second that he had experience of it beyond what he'd endured today but it was strange coming from a man who looked so unbelievably strong and gifted in magic. Just for a second he looked vulnerable, something that he probably kept under close control most of the time. I wondered why he had let slip with me. Maybe it was because he was going to train me and he thought we had to be open with each other to make this work. Or maybe he was still shocked over what happened earlier.

"I'm sorry, John." I softly said.

He looked down at me making me feel small. He slipped back into his guarded mode and turned back to the dummy. "Turn that fear into anger then you'll have twice as much. Have another go."

I did and easily noticed the difference in my performance. I wondered why school had never given us that easy piece of advice. Mind you none of us had never almost been killed at school. Apart from Toby. The memory of what I'd done to him made me even more angry than before and I took all that anger out on the dummy not caring if I hurt myself in the process.

I knew I was hitting it hard because it wobbled every so often even though it was on a metal pole that looked to be concreted into the floor. I let my anger at myself overtake all rational thought for a few moments until I felt my ankle jar and I couldn't properly stand on it. By that point I was dripping with sweat and breathing heavily. Everything ached but I felt more relaxed than I had in a long time. I no longer had pent up fury building inside me and I felt that I could let the careful control I'd been holding slip.

"What did you do?" Pritkin asked as if he had telepathy.

I had tears brimming in my eyes and I just knew that if I told him the truth I was going to cry. Even though he'd been honest with me I was so used to having to prove myself to everyone that through habit I said, "I hurt my ankle."

He just nodded as if he understood and motioned me to sit on the floor. I took my shoe and sock off and prodded the affected area. It was swelling up quite nicely. Before I could protest he picked me up in a bridal lift and swiftly carried me to get some first aid which was in the kitchen a few floors up from here.


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm back off holiday and back to up-dating. I, sadly, don't own any of Karen Chance's characters - she does. Please R&R I like to know what you think and constructive criticism is always good. Oh, if you're hungury you might want to get something to eat for this one - Ava and Pritkin have a disagreement about her diet and just reading through it made me even more hundry than I was lol. Hope you like! **

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**He gently lowered me onto the breakfast bar in the kitchen once four people had moved their food over to the work tops. Not feeling so macho anymore I muffled a squeak of pain when my ankle hit the surface a bit too hard. A freckled blonde lady passed over some ice.

"Pushing her too hard already, Pritkin?" a deep voice came from a slight man who looked to be about twenty five. His hair was cut short which revealed a scar on his forehead. He wore loose trousers and a fitted black t-shirt.

"My fault." I said whilst flinching as Pritkin put the ice on my ankle so I didn't squeak again.

"You'll need to rest for the rest of the day, maybe tomorrow as well."

Damn. I was going to be injured when I met Lady Cassandra. Fantastic. I had wanted to make a good impression and that looked unlikely to happen. What would she think of a mage who injured herself in training? Would she think I was incompetent? Or would she think me a fool to believe I could be a good mage when I hadn't even passed the official trials? I didn't want her to believe all of that because I knew I was a good war mage. Hell, I almost killed Pritkin and he's the best of us out there. Maybe that would out weigh the rest of the stuff I'd done, or even what I hadn't done.

"You'll be right as rain soon, kid." The short haired guy said and ruffled my hair.

With narrowed eyes and whilst re-doing my hair I said, "My name's Ava and I'm not a kid. I'm _seventeen_."

I was given some more pizza which I gratefully wolfed down as well as a drink of water. Pritkin looked at me as though my dietary habits weren't good enough. I strongly suspected I'd be eating salad for lunch. _Mind you I probably should eat more healthily. _

I limped back to my room and had a long shower. Feeling instantly refreshed I very quickly got bored when I got out since I couldn't explore much. Instead I looked out the window that the bed looked out over. I had a view from the front of the house. There was a long drive that wound its way through the forest that surrounded the place obscuring the ground of the rolling hills. I could hear a river trickling by that any other human wouldn't be able to hear even with magically enhanced hearing. Soft birdsong of nightingales filtered through the open window along a cool breeze. The sun was just falling over the horizon marking a new day for the vampires, ending mine. The stars were beginning to shine as the rest of the house began to wake up.

Pritkin was thinking about the training session he'd just had with Ava. Mostly he was wondering what she'd done to be that angry at herself. He remembered what he'd done that made him angry with himself but quickly banished all thoughts about his wife's life bleeding out of her and into him. It was a burden he carried daily and knew some of her pain. He saw it in her eyes, the pain and disappointment she carried. In most ways the self disappointment was worse than the pain because the pain would heal but the disappointment would stay with her forever and morph into self doubt. It was something he couldn't let happen because then she'd be scared of her magic and she wouldn't fight to the best of her abilities in the inevitable battle. The battle he was now certain he was going to die in.

A few hours passed in which he hadn't seen her. He decided to check on her to make sure she was alright.

She was sleeping soundly after a long day both physically and emotionally. He'd seen the fear and guilt in her eyes when he was lying on the floor dying and knew that some of the anger she'd displayed earlier had a little to do with that but not much. He looked down at her trying to figure it out but as he did so he felt his earlier feelings for her return to him. His mind slowed and for a moment he let his mind slow down as he looked at her, her full sensual lips.

Abruptly he stood and left the room.

He had just closed her door when he saw Cassie heading his way.

"Is she awake, Pritkin?" she asked.

Cassie awoke really early but was content to watch Mircea sleep until the sun set in a couple of hours time, gently wiping strands of hair out of his deathly pale face – the only indication of what he really was. Normally he made the effort to inject some colour into his cheeks but when he was asleep he had no control over what he looked like. But in some ways Cassie preferred his natural complexion. It reminded her of the sheer power he possessed. Not to mention his raw masculinity. However he wouldn't be solely hers for long. In a few hours he was scheduled to fly to MAGIC where the Consul had the delight of his company – something she resented her for. Sometimes it really did seem like the Consul saw Mircea more than she did. Especially now with the up and coming battle.

He stirred – a sign that he was almost awake. Soon his eyes would flicker open and those orbs of brown that she so loved would no longer be hidden from her. Light peeped through a tiny crack in the curtains catching his long lashes. If it were any other vampire she would have immediately closed them, especially after what happened to Rafe, but Mircea, a first level master vamp, could handle a bit of sun no problem. Any way the sun was going to disappear behind the horizon soon so it didn't matter too much. Besides it made his lashes look darker some how which was never a bad thing. And it did amazing things to his cheekbones which was _always_ a good thing.

He suddenly awoke and zoomed out of the room before she knew what was happening. He was back in a couple of minutes with an amused light in his eye.

"Our guest has figured out Pritkin's true nature. She tried to save you from him." he raised his head from his reclining position to kiss Cassie's lips.

She fell into the kiss as she always did. Her lips moulded to his in a familiar yet exhilarating way that made his very soul leap. Mircea could have stayed in that splendour for ever and a day if the Consul had given him the time to do so, but she always called him away. It was part of being a senate member that hadn't been a problem for a few centuries. Then Cassie, sweet, adorable, _irresistible_ Cassie had entered his life and leaving her was like dying all over again every time it happened.

Normally he would have taken Cassie with him but these weren't normal circumstances. The tension between the Circle and the Senate was escalating and Cassie had foreseen a war between the two sides. Not to mention that the Black Circle wanted Cassie dead as much as any other organisation within the magical community. No Cassie would stay here where she was safe. Or al least as safe as she could be.

"Do you have to go?" she asked.

It was a question that seemed to occur all too regularly on her lips in the past few months. And it was one he hated to hear. It carried sadness and fear. Emotions that she should never have had to experience as far as Mircea was concerned. If it were up to him Cassie would have the greatest opulence and indulgences within her reach and she would always be safe. Always with him. Always in his arms where he could love her and protect her.

"Unfortunately, dulceaţă, yes I do. It cannot be helped." He lay back down taking Cassie with him.

She let her head rest on his chest and let his warmth thaw the chill that come over her whenever he had to go away. She would savour the last few moments they had alone together as if they really wouldn't see each other again even though the very thought hurt her because that way they would be all the more sweet.

About twenty minutes after Mircea had left Cassie found herself walking towards the room that their guest was in. Pritkin was just leaving.

"Is she awake, Pritkin?" she asked blinking away the recurring flashes of what she Saw.

"Not. Probably won't be for a little while – she exhausted herself in training and got injured. She needs rest."

"What did you do to her?"

Pritkin gave her a look that said he didn't appreciate the joke especially since he needed another cup of coffee. He told her the story of both the outdoor training and what happened in the gym on the way to the little kitchen.

A few minutes later Ava waltzed into the room, much to Pritkin's surprise. Perhaps she knew a little more about the extent of her powers than he had previously thought. Cassie raised an eyebrow at him, satisfied to see, that for once, he was wrong.

She yawned at the same time as trying to say, "Is there any cold pizza left?"

I froze, arms paused half way through a stretch. The boot I was holding by the laces came down and whacked my hip. But I didn't really feel it. A familiar stranger was sat in the kitchen. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail allowing me to see her blue eyes which had a spark of happiness lighting them.

"Hello, Ava." She said.

I sank to my knee and rested a hand over my heart in respect. I bowed my head saying "Lady Cassandra, it's an honour." I could feel her amused smile but felt a tingle of irritation at the same time.

"There's no need for that. Stand up, Ava. You're well rested I hope."

"Yes thank you milady. I hear Lord Mircea has gone to see the Consul." I honestly didn't know what to say to the person I was duty bound to protect so I was falling back on polite conversation.

"Yes. He'll be back in a few days." She walked to the fridge. "Cold pizza?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah thanks."

Pritkin gave me a disapproving look and stood from the table. He strode towards Lady Cassandra taking the pizza from her and putting it back in the fridge. I watched with wide eyes. I knew Pritkin was badass but was the Pythia really going to let him get away with that? I looked at her for help but she just shrugged and sat at the table with her chocolate bar.

"Come on Pritkin, I need to eat."

"Not that you don't. Have this." He put a plate into my hands that I hadn't even seen him take from the fridge as he passed me never pausing. He poured himself another coffee saying, "You need to eat more healthily or you'll never possess enough strength to be a good mage."

"You need to drink more healthily." I muttered huffily taking a place at the table and took the fork Lady Cassandra held out to me.

"I can afford to drink whatever I want as I eat healthy food."

"Pizza's baked not fried." Lady Cassandra laughed. Pritkin didn't look too amused. "Besides," I carried on whilst I had a chance, "it has veg on it as well as some chicken. It's like a Sunday roast only it's easier to eat on the move. _That _means I'll be able to eat it on the way to training so I can burn all the calories off sooner." I hadn't really looked at what I was stabbing with the fork so cringed at the sharp taste in my mouth. "What the hell is this crap?" I spat the mush out and had some of Pritkin's coffee which I plucked out of his hands.

"That," he said snatching the mug back, "is an olive. They're good for you."

"About as good as that coffee is for you." I flicked the rest of the olives – over Lady Cassandra's head – into the sink from where I was sat. Now all I had left was a bowl of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and something that looked suspiciously like anchovies. No way was I eating those. "Tell me I'm allowed salad cream." I begged.

"Mayonnaise." Pritkin said blandly before taking a sip of coffee and picked up the paper he'd already read today. _God, is it really only a few hours since I first woke up? _

"You have got to be –" he looked over the rim of his cup at me. "Mayonnaise it is." I surrendered walking over to the fridge.

"You're not limping!" Lady Cassandra seemed surprised.

It was fairly normal for me to heal quickly so I just shrugged and opened the fridge door. "Have you seen my other boot and sock? I think I might have left them in the basement." Lady Cassandra laughed again. "What?"

"You British are so funny." I raised an eyebrow looking at Pritkin. He looked about as confused as I did. " 'Basement'," She imitated my accent. "It's a 'cellar'." She chuckled.

I began piling mayo on my salad as Pritkin said, "It's behind the door which you so conveniently left open earlier."

I put it on by the door before coming back to my place at the table. I put the other boot on there and then looked at my plate. It had significantly less mayo on it than when I left. I narrowed my eyes before reaching for the jar and put even more on my plate than I originally had and then tucked in. Lady Cassandra disguised a laugh by coughing. Pritkin looked at me with narrowed eyes. He let out a short breath and went back to his coffee.

"Pritkin, I want to take Ava shopping in town today. She needs more clothes and needs some fresh air."

"She can get fresh air here."

So I wasn't going to get a say in this at all then? Oh that _so_ was not going to happen.

"But if we need to evacuate Lady Cassandra I need to have seen the area so I know where I'd be going." I was pretty sure I'd heard that somewhere before, say, a school text book, but it sounded good.

He had a look in his eyes I knew all too well though it was from other people and never him. It was the _damn she has a point _look. He thought about it for a few more seconds before conceding.

"Very well." He sighed, "Ava, think of this as a training exercise though. And only if you eat all of the salad."

"I like anchovies about as much as I do olives."

"Fine."

He began scooping mayo off the plate. I stared at him open mouthed and went to protest but it wasn't too much of a big deal in hindsight – I wouldn't have eaten most of what I' pout on the plate anyway. What he left me with looked like a reasonable amount. I shrugged and tucked in with no enthusiasm.

"I'll see you in about half an hour then." Lady Cassandra stood from her place and left the room.

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**Hungry yet? **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys, here's the next chapter got a bit of action in there this time (: Hope you like and please R&R they make me feel all warm and fuzzy in side and lets me know hwat you really think and if I need to improve anything **

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"I take it you can drive." Pritkin said as we entered the garage. He pointed to a _Ford_ of some description. "The best way to get your bearings is to drive around." He tossed the keys over the bonnet.

_It's a good job I can drive. Looks like he wouldn't be taking no for an answer._

"Remember," he continued but I interrupted him.

"Drive on the wrong side of the road. I got it Pritkin chilax."

I rolled my eyes and put the key in the ignition only then realising how much larger American versions of cars really were. Not wanting to look nervous – because I most definitely wasn't – I revved the engine and eased out of the garage like I was an old hand at it. Truth be told I hadn't been in a car in over a year – since I passed my test. And then had the licence taken off me for ley line racing. When Jonas heard of my infamous trip he clapped me on the back and shook my hand laughing the whole time. Mr. Black wasn't too amused but even he knew better than to disagree with the head of the Circle.

Getting to town, once I'd loosened all the rust off the driving cogs I had somewhere in my mind, was easier than I imagined and soon we were in the urban metropolis. The huge urban metropolis. I'd never been in a city before and I'd expected them to be huge but Seattle was off the scale. The roads were huge, the pavements were bustling with people and vendors. It was more than I had expected. The buildings were all really tall and glass fronted and nothing at all like the black and white Tudor buildings of Stratford upon Avon. Everything was the same shade of gray but every now and then a cluster of trees appeared or a children's park popped up. But, bizarrely, as I looked around the thing that most struck me as odd was the lack of people walking dogs. Every time I went out into Stratford I saw countless dogs. Not here though.

"Ava!" Pritkin barked reaching over to turn the wheel sharply to the right. "Watch where you're going!"

"Uh, sorry." I meekly said snapping my attention back to the road.

"Take the next right."

I nodded and stayed silent until I'd parked in a multi story. We ended up at the top which Pritkin didn't seem too pleased about because that meant it would be hard to quickly escape if the need arose. I knew where he was coming from but it couldn't be helped. Besides if we wanted to blend in he'd have to put up with it. He muttered something about going to Danté's (whatever that was) and swiftly strode ahead. I guessed then meant I was supposed to stick close to Lady Cassandra. Since he didn't complain I took that as an affirmative.

We ducked into the shade a line of trees offered and I cursed for not thinking to put sun cream on and squinted against the glare of the sunlight bouncing off the path. Lady Cassandra took some shades from her pocket and put them on. It was alright for some.

We went into a _Nike_ shop first. I scanned the place for any suspicious characters once my eyes had adjusted going on base instinct. I'd not been able to stay in school long enough to cover the protecting people unit of my education so I was guessing and going on what people did in films. And copying Pritkin though I'd be damned to admit it to his face. There were a few people in the shop, most looked innocent enough. There was a shady looking lady in a corner looking at tennis shoes though I suspected she posed more of a threat to the shop than to us.

"You'll need some clothes for training. I take it Mircea is covering this?" Pritkin asked.

"Yep." Lady Cassandra said. "Knock yourself out." she smiled at me as if I were her sister not her guard.

I didn't need much and even though Mircea could more than afford it I didn't pick out much, at least nothing that was overly expensive. I only needed a few pairs of joggers, some shorts, a few breathable t-shirts and a pair of trainers. The rest of the time I'd wear normal clothes. Most of what I got was black or blue with a motif of some kind on it but nothing over the top. I did allow myself the indulgence of one tennis skirt for really hot weather, having said that I'd be wearing shorts underneath. I took the chance of Pritkin giving a slight look of disapproval and then conceding. Instead he allowed a half smile before putting it back. I narrowed my eyes at him.

_Not impressed. _

He took my clothes from me, walked to the checkout and paid without looking at me. And then made me hold the bags. Okay they weren't heavy but since I was the one on the learning experience I thought he would let me focus on that and not have figure out if I could fit through the small gaps that he went through. They were made more difficult to get through as the people who created them didn't have enough courtesy to move out the way. One thing was for sure I wouldn't have had to put up with this in Stratford. I kept my complaints to myself and casually looked around every few moments in an inconspicuous manor, though I probably could have looked around blatantly awed as I probably had tourist written all over my face.

We rounded a corner and I could smell something I had long been expecting but had so far missed – hotdogs and doughnuts. There was a vendor in front of a park with a long queue of hurried looking people waiting for service. Further down the road was a burger van and a jacket potato stall all vying for customers. If it were up to Pritkin we wouldn't stop there for food even if eating had yet entered his mind. I guessed standing in a queue for too long was not an option in his carefully construed plan of how to keep me on my toes.

We passed another crossroads before Lady Cassandra – who insisted I called her Cassie – took us into a high street store. It looked something like an American version of _New Look_ which suited me fine.

"Remember to keep a look out." Pritkin whispered taking the bags from me. His hands brushed mine warming my skin. His gaze lingered on me and I hastily turned away from his shining green eyes.

I took a particular interest in a pink top that I knew I wasn't going to buy but I needed to shift my interest away from _him_. Cassie had a smile on her face that had something of a child-like teasing quality about it.

"Shush." I said and looked at a black vest top.

Even in our short acquaintance I knew Cassie preferred to be treated like any other normal person than the position of Pythia dictated. It looked as though I was going to be sticking around with Pritkin for a while which meant I'd be seeing a lot of Cassie so I knew I would be best to treat her as a friend not a superior – Pritkin had been whispering to me about how she got annoyed every time he called her _Miss Palmer_. The only reason Cassie didn't know he was telling me this was because of our heightened hearing so what was a whisper to me was inaudible to her.

I got distracted by a to-die-for top that I would be able to wear whilst protecting Cassie. Pritkin wasn't impressed by my choice saying the off the shoulder number wasn't appropriate for my duties but I shot back that it would help me to blend in with the crowd if we were in a place like this again. With a sigh he allowed me the top. Declined the miniskirt I wanted. It was one or the other in the end. I went with the top angrily noticing the amused light in his eyes. He was loving this way too much.

* * *

Pritkin knew she thought he was having far too much fun taking the skirt from her but some small part of him didn't care. There was something familiar about her that he couldn't quite put his finger on that he felt comfortable to be around. Hell he went as far as to admit he found himself waiting anxiously for her witty remarks and snapped comments. He recognised it from somewhere in his past but he hadn't figured it out yet. He'd been around for a long time but, when he remembered who she looked like he couldn't have been mistaken because someone like her didn't come round very often.

He noticed that she'd been lightly sunburned in the short walk to the shop turning her pale skin a soft shade of pink. He knew she wouldn't appreciate it in the morning so he picked up a bottle of after-sun and a high factor sun-block. She'd thank him for it eventually since he planned on conducting most of their training outside. Cassie would probably thank him too which was another small incentive.

_Damn it, John, get a grip! _

"Pritkin!" Ava called and waved him over to the skirt rack she was looking at.

He glanced round and saw Cassie was a couple of racks away from Ava. Safe enough. "If I'm not going to let you have the other mini –"

"Whatever, _Dad._" She said as a shop assistant, who was not hiding a smirk, strode by. In a whisper she said, "There's a black mage three rows down. Keeps glancing at Cassie."

He took a casual look round that to anyone else would have looked like he was exasperated with a rebellious teen. The black mage didn't notice. She was of average height and build with a light dusting of freckles probably from the morning sun since she was pale. Brassy hair bounced on her shoulders, glinting in the florescent lighting. She looked innocent enough. Until you noticed the way she looked round like she was searching for someone and wasn't actually looking at the clothes that were in front of her. She stayed light on her feet, ready to run at a moments notice.

"Get to the checkout." He said distractedly wondering if he'd seen the mage earlier in the day.

"I saw her in the queue for the hotdogs." Ava said as if reading his mind.

"Get Cassie out of here now. Ask her if Billy Joe is around."

She, thankfully, didn't ask questions but acted fairly normal as she quietly told Cassie what was going on. Cassie looked worried for a moment but quickly hid it.

* * *

"Cassie, shift out of here. Now." I ordered.

But of course she wouldn't hear any of it. Pritkin said, before we left, that she wouldn't if this situation arose but I thought it was worth a go.

"Just do it. Pitkin and I can look after ourselves. Besides, someone has to pay for the clothes. Go Cassie."

"I have to get you out of here too." she protested.

I held her hand to make our exchange look normal and walked her to the toilets. Fortunately she had enough common sense to walk with me not struggle against me as not to alert the black mage to our knowing she was there.

"Unless Pritkin looks like a woman he can't come with us where there're no cameras. We don't know how many of them there are out there and he'd have a greater chance of survival if I was with him."

"Ava…"

"Do you trust me?" I asked her.

"Yes."

"Then shift." I gave her the basket, knowing full well that this was technically shop lifting, and quickly let go so she couldn't take me with her.

Pritkin didn't look too amused when he saw me emerge from the ladies' room. He would have preferred I didn't emerge at all but he knew that I wouldn't leave Cassie alone in there so he knew she was safe.

* * *

"You should have gone with her." Pritkin said in a low tone that Ava didn't like but would have to put up with.

"Too late, dude. Let's get to the car." Ava said trying to find the mage again.

Pritkin had to hand it to her – she knew how to get rid of Cassie fast. He only hoped Cassie wouldn't do something stupid like… shift to the car. Anger threatened to boil but he knew it was a waste of time. He'd deal with Ava's lack of judgement, which bordered on stupidity, later.

"Ava as soon as you get out this shop run. Go to the car and don't stop running unless a mage stands in your way. Go."

Pritkin moved off in the direction of the mage making it look as though he was lost in the shop. But he knew exactly where he was going. Without breaking his stride he threw a small, unseen bolt of magic at a tall rail of dresses that was a couple of isles away from the mage. It crashed down on the rails that formed the isle she was looking at making them fall. Like dominos the rest of the shelves and rails fell. Pandemonium ensued. People screamed others shouted, staff ran around and a few other people left the building. Pritkin was one of them. As soon as he rounded a corner further down the street he broke into a run and headed for the car park hoping he wasn't sending Ava into a bunch of black mages.

He took a sharp right down an ally and flew up the first set of emergency escape stairs he found and swung onto the roof. From there he could see the multi story off to the west. There wasn't much of a gap between most of the buildings meaning he could jump between them and get there much quicker than he could if he were on foot even though the gaps were further than any human could jump. Normally he wouldn't risk a norm seeing him use his Incubus reflexes or strength but time was of the essence. Besides most city dwellers stayed focused on the floor not the sky. The first leap was always the trickiest but that didn't stop him. But just as he was about to jump the thought that this could be how he died almost made him lose his nerve.

_Protect Cassie. That's all that matters, _he whispered to himself.

He landed harder than he would have liked, jarring his ankle. The pain was gone as quickly as it had appeared and he jumped another roof. The rest were easy. Exhilarating even. Until he missed his hand hold on the jump that would take him to the car park. He managed to grip onto a metal bar but it wouldn't hold his weight for long and if he let go with even just one hand he would fall to his death. There was nothing close enough for him to grab onto and if he tried swinging to reach something the bar would snap.

"Pritkin!" Ava called just as his muscles were about to give up.

He looked up to see a metal chain fall towards him. He grabbed it without question and began pulling himself up it as he heard Ava running towards the top level. He'd be able to catch her easily when he was on solid ground once more.

As soon as one foot was on the ground he was running again, jumping out the way of a car as he went. He saw Ava slow down ahead of him. She was breathing heavily and sweat was showing through her top. She paused before rounding the corner. But as soon as she did her scream filled the air. It was muffled by a hand most likely. The sound of muted struggles crashed towards him. Pritkin paused for only a second to take in the scene. A man held Ava with a knife to her throat; she was trying to break free without injuring herself. Cassie was in the car with a gun being pointed to her head. A hand on her shoulder. Suddenly Cassie's bracelet of knives sprung to life making short work of her captor in the confined space. Ava began fighting.

"Ava, stop." Pritkin calmly said holding his hands in the air. Normally he would have gone in weapons blazing but not this time. He saw the man's shields fall but Ava was quicker and let an array of magical knives finish him off.

Cassie tumbled out of the car with her captive's blood covering her. Pritkin knelt beside her and let her catch her breath before taking a look around. Ava was working a spell that would take away all traces of the fights. A sulphurous odour permeated the air turning it smoky for a few moments before it dissipated. Cassie was shaking.

"Ava!" Pritkin barked. He was disappointed with her. However now wasn't the time to berate her. That could wait until they were safe at home. She slowly walked towards him suspecting that she was about to be told off. "Cassie needs physical contact to shift you home."

Ava held Cassie's hand and Pritkin rested a hand on her shoulder. Cassie _shifted_

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**Oh I don't own and of the briliand Karen Chance's characters ): **

**So what did you think? **


	10. Chapter 10

**Here's chapter 10, please R&R to tell me what you think and if you think I need to improve anything. Hope you like it (: **

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"I told you to get her out of there!" Pritkin growled at me as soon as we got back to Mircea's mansion.

I didn't take much note of him though. It was something I'd known Cassie could do but it was amazing all the same. She'd shifted us sixteen miles! Only his hand on my arm brought me back to reality.

"I told her to go home!" I defended myself.

"And I told you to go with her!" he strode off in a swirl of his brown duster leaving me and Cassie alone on the lawn.

Cassie was lying on the floor catching her breath. Somehow she'd managed to bring all the clothes with her. They now littered the floor having fallen from the sky when she let go in mid air. I picked them up and waited for Cassie to catch her breath before walking back into the house with her. She didn't look at me for a long time but kept her gaze stubbornly ahead. I carried the baskets and didn't look at her either. The normally short walk to the back door seemed to take for ever as a cold atmosphere developed. When we got to the doors Cassie caught my arm.

"Ava, I'm sorry…"

I turned on her, fire in my eyes. "Next time I say 'go home', go home! Do you have any idea how much danger you put all of us in! Pritkin could have died." I growled. I turned away from her, yanked the door open and stormed inside.

I made my way to my room not really noticing what I passed on my way. I guessed Pritkin was right. I should have gone with Cassie because then even if she didn't go home I could have protected her and stopped the mages getting her in the car park. Pritkin was good enough to look after himself which should have been enough to make me go with Cassie first time round not after making a needless mistake. I mentally kicked myself all the way up the stairs and along the corridor to my room.

Pritkin was sat on my bed. I'd expected him to wait in the kitchen where he would probably guess I would go after putting some clean clothes on. It seemed to be the hub of the guards in this place probably for the reason that it was the only place where we could get food and the vamps mostly stayed out of it. It was the only space we could really call ours apart from our rooms. Yes we could use any of the rooms that weren't strictly Cassie and Mircea's but they weren't really ours.

Nor did it seem my room was just mine. I dumped my bags and waited for Pritkin to say something. When he didn't move his gaze from the window I leant on a chest of draws and crossed my arms over my chest content to wait for him to talk. Until I got unbearably hungry that is. When he still didn't answer I looked at the back of his skull to try and make him feel uncomfortable. It worked until I noticed a piece of paper near his hand which distracted me. If I hadn't have looked away I think he would have caved. Instead of kicking myself over another failure I took the piece of paper from behind him.

It was a timetable with his shifts on it as well as when we were going to train. Sometimes I would be with Cassie helping her with what she needed to learn as well as no doubt improving what I could already do. Most of the time I would be doing one-on-one training with Pritkin. The details of the lessons weren't on the paper so it looked like he was going to be planning what happened depending on how satisfied he was with my level of magic. Well, he knew I could almost kill him so it should be good enough.

I put the paper on the bed and indignantly said, "What do you want?"

He didn't answer me straight away. Instead he looked at his clasped hands and slowly turned to me. I knew he was annoyed with me and I knew he would be for some time but there was also something else in his eyes. Something I couldn't put my finger on.

"You should have gone with her at least then –"

"I could have protected her even if she didn't come here. I know. I've been kicking myself over it since we got back. Lesson learned whatever. When do we start training?"

"After you've had a healthy lunch." He rested a hand on mine for a moment before standing.

He wasn't sure what made him go easy on her. If it were Cassie who'd done something wrong he would have shouted at her or told her not to do it again. Maybe it was because he knew Ava had leant a lesson and it hit home with her more than it did Cassie because of her training. Ava had grown up learning to fight and had to learn the consequences of her actions very quickly. Something Cassie didn't do. Which was what Pritkin put down to going easy on Ava. _Of course it was. There was nothing else to it. I can afford to treat Ava like that. That's all. _

Satisfied his treatment of Ava was justified he carried on his way to the kitchen letting Ava take her time getting there.

"Salad?" I exclaimed the next day. "You're making me eat salad for _breakfast_!" I was so _not_ impressed.

I mean, what the hell did this guy think I was? I was a teenager not a supermodel. I was a kid who liked pizza and roast dinners who occasionally had pasta salad. Yeah salad was alright but not when it was just lettuce and a couple of tomatoes.

I pushed the plate away from me and watched him fry some bacon. And then eat it right in front of me. I could feel my mouth start to water and the smell was just intoxicating. It wrapped around me like a blanket warming my insides like a hot drink on a cold day. I could feel my eyes going wide as he took the last bite of his sandwich.

I looked into his eyes intending to give him a glare of dislike but when I saw that he was amused it turned into one of loathing. Which made him smile. It was a wide smile that reached his eyes and lit up his whole face taking away the perpetual seriousness that made him look like he was always expecting something to jump out and kill him. It softened the tense line of his shoulders and made him look younger.

_Stop it, Ava. It's just because he nearly died yesterday._

He seemed to notice something change in my thought process because he stopped smiling too and turned to the sink. I picked at my salad wishing the lighter atmosphere would return.

After a few silent moments I lightly asked, "When do I get chocolate again or are you putting chocolate prohibition laws in force?"

He tilted his head to the side. "The day I give up coffee."

I knew that would never happen. He was fixed on the stuff like a junky was their next hit. He'd have to go cold turkey. Cold turkey….

"What are you thinking?" he asked uncertainly as if reading my mind. His eye went to the coffee jar giving him away. When he realised this he walked over to the fridge.

"Nothing." I innocently replied. He closed the door with a chocolate bar in hand. I had no doubt it was meant for him not me. "But since you accused me of plotting to steal your precious caffeine fix," I got out of my seat and crossed the room towards him. He really didn't like where I was going with this and stopped un-wrapping the _Twix_. "when I wasn't, you'll pay up by letting me have that chocolate bar." I plucked it out of his hands and happily ate it as I left the kitchen.

He followed me intent on getting it back. I lengthened the stride of my steps and quickened the pace, looking at him from the corner of my eye.

"Where's training, coach?"

"Garden." He tried reaching for the chocolate but I snatched it out of his reach.

The door easily opened when I leant against it. Cassie was already waiting for us on and immaculately kept lawn. The same one I almost killed Pritkin on.

He was suddenly in front of me hand outstretched demanding the _Twix_. I, with a massive smirk, stuffed the last quarter in my mouth.

"That is not part of your diet, Ava." He said with disapproval in his eyes.

"Uh, too late." I said round a mouthful of food.

"Pritkin's late. I never thought I'd see the day." Cassie called from a few meters away.

Pritkin turned to her, no doubt a _damn it she won't let this drop _look on his face.

Cassie never beat him to training but recently she'd had an extra incentive. Yesterday when she'd gone into the kitchen she'd caught the tail ends of a conversation the guards were having. One of them jokingly said "I'll give her 100 dollars when she beats Pritkin to training". When they saw her enter the room they all quickly shut up and got back to eating or polishing their shoes. She smiled and extended the bet to include all of the people present and gave herself the deadline of the end of the week. When she left she sought Ava out and told her that if she helped her she'd halve the prize money giving them $250 each.

Pritkin made his way over towards her with Ava following him. Cassie thought of how they would make a cute couple. They offset each other perfectly – Pritkin was as broad as Ava was petite, he as fair as she dark, he as stoic as she was casual.

"I want you, Cassie, to show Ava what we've been doing over the past few weeks and then I want Ava to pick out where you're going wrong."

They'd been working on hand to hand combat. Cassie was slowly improving but she still had a long way to go according to Pritkin. She had a tendency to slow down her movements and leave herself wide open for attacks even when she defended. She just needed to bring it all in, tighten her defence and make her movements more controlled.

"And not be scared of hurting them – they're trying to kill you." Ava tacked onto the end.

Cassie knew she was right but she loathed to hurt anyone. She'd been hurt numerous amounts of times and many people had died for her sake and she didn't want to endanger anyone else. She had enough death on her conscience even if they weren't directly her fault.

"Maybe it's time to get some revenge for all those people." Ava shrugged.

That sparked a thought in Cassie. Maybe the ghosts of the people who'd died would move on more quickly if she avenged their deaths. Even if they weren't technically still alive she was glad she was helping someone.

The next time she hit Ava it was with more force even if there wasn't much accuracy and the blow was easy to deflect. Pritkin nodded in approval. She was finally making progress with her punches.

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**So what did you think? Let me know. **

**Oh, Karen Chance owns the Cassie Palmer Series... not me... unfortunately... bummer... ):**


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while - I've been on holiday but here's the next chapter. I hope you like it but I'll only know if you R&R so please tell me. Oh, ALL CHARACTERS AND BACK STORY BELONGS TO KAREN CHANCE. **

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Cassie left so Pritkin and I could do a proper training session. Cassie had improved over the couple of hours we'd been training but I was anticipating the challenge Pritkin would give me. He would push me really hard first and then slow the tempo down to improve a few things.

"How much running did you do at school?" he asked.

"None, why?"

"Four times round the path that circles the house." He nodded in the general direction. "Go on, it's only a mile."

"But I ran a mile yesterday!" I complained. I wanted to fight not run.

"There might be a time when you have to run. Do your laps and then we can do some sword fighting."

I thought he'd at least give me a five minute break before we began fighting. Instead he ambushed me on the path and left my weapon twenty meters away on the lawn. I'd just spent quarter of an hour running with the heat of the setting sun beating down on me and he decided to ambush me. I fell to the floor and had to grapple with him for a couple of minutes before I could break free and sprint for my sword. He was upon me in a flash but my blade met his and the metal clashed in mid air. I swung my blade around first and we circled each other trying to anticipate the other's next move. Light step after light step sounded. The sun began to wane and Pritkin made his move lunging for me as fast as a cobra. I jumped out of the way and brought the flat of my sword down on his back and kicked him to the floor. He rolled over before I could 'kill' him and sprang up.

With narrowed eyes I waited for him to come for me which he did much sooner than I expected him too. This time I brought my weapon low and slammed it against his shins. He cursed and paused before turning round. It was enough time for me to do the same to the back of his knees and then 'slit his throat'.

He lowered his sword to the ground and let me come face to face with him before doing anything. Instead of going straight back to training I sat in front of him cross legged.

"Why did you send me back to the car park by myself when there could have been any number of black mages waiting for me?" It was a curious question, not an accusation.

Pritkin crossed his legs too; more like folded them beneath him since he was so long. He looked just over my shoulder for a moment as if he was analysing his past actions. The sun had set and the moon only filtered a little weak light onto the ground. It made his hair seem lighter than before and sparkled in his mysterious eyes.

"I believed you could look after yourself."

"Only believed? You don't think that anymore?"

"You're a good war mage especially to have survived the trials but you still have a lot to learn. Let's do some physical combat you haven't shown me much of that yet."

I stood up and shook the tension out of my right ankle. "Where do we start?"

He stood too. "Kick me." he raised a hand which would serve as a target. No protections or anything just his bare hand.

I raised my brow asking if he was being serious. He nodded once and waited for me. I guessed that even if I did injure him he'd be able to heal it in a couple of seconds being an Incubus and all. I took a breath and reached for his hand which was waist height. He barely flinched and motioned for me to do it again no doubt with a little more effort. I kicked him twice this time and then a third time when he looked bored. I narrowed my eyes at him and kicked him again.

"What are you wearing ballet shoes? Step it up twinkle toes."

_Twinkle toes?_ I narrowed my eyes at him and glared. There was no way he was getting away with calling me twinkle toes. I was a war mage not a dancer and most _def_initely _was_ _not_ a ballet dancer.

"You might want to do the ribbon of your slipper up before you carry on."

I looked down and saw that he was right. I narrowed my eyes at him some more and stooped to do the lace up. And he was chuckling.

I quickly stood again and kicked his hand as he was raising it. This time I thought back to the day before yesterday when we were down in the basement and brought forward the same anger as then and channelled it into this one kick. He stumbled and dropped his hand instantly brining it into his chest cradling it.

"Gonna stop calling me twinkle toes?" I asked hiding my worry.

He glanced up at me with sharp pain flashing through his eyes. I gulped now realising just how seriously I may have injured him. He lowered his hand to his side to try and appear normal but I knew he wasn't okay. He also tried to hide the pain in his eyes but it didn't fully go away. I looked at his hand and saw that it had gone a shade of purple. I took a step towards him. He flinched. I looked into his green eyes and slowly extended my hand to take his.

His skin was burning, already swollen. I tried to turn it over to examine the palm but Pritkin winced and pulled his hand back.

"It'll be better in a few minutes." He said gruffly trying to not let on how much pain he was in.

"Pritkin, it's broken. If it's not in the right place now it'll heal wonky. Let me help you." He tried to protest. "Let me help you." I said more firmly. "Where were you when the circle did the first aid class?" I muttered the last.

"I was around before the invention of the circles." He snapped.

I shied away from his burning eyes and looked to the floor for a couple of seconds before looking back at him. He was still in pain but looking down at me with sadness in his eyes like he was sorry for what he'd just said. How he'd just said it. He offered his hand back to me. I could see that it was already improving – the swelling had gone down and some of the colour had faded.

"You're the expert. Will you be alright?" I meekly asked.

"In a short while." his brusque manner was back which was a good sign.

I breathed a sigh of relief momentarily letting my eyes close. He took his hand back and flexed his fingers making something crack. I openly winced and shuddered. He seemed unaffected by it and carried on with the lesson.

"We'll try punches in a minute. I take it you've done this before?"

"Would I be a war mage if I couldn't throw a punch?" I shook some tension out of my right ankle and raised my fists in a defensive stance.

He moved his fists with lightning speed and sometimes tried to hit back with precision accuracy. I blocked him only to find the target I'd been after had moved and I would have to block another punch and then go for it.

By the time we were finished both of us were panting and dying for something to eat. I began to wonder if Mircea could keep up with the shopping bill or if he would chuck me out with the rate of my food consumption. Hopefully he would kick Pritkin out too, he might be a pain in the ass but I'd rather have a handy side-kick than have to live out there all by myself. Okay, so I'd not seen much of the world but if the black circle were crazy enough to try and kidnap the Pythia in broad daylight then the world must be a dangerous place indeed.

I headed inside but Pritkin had to go on watch. I was instructed to go and see Lord Mircea. I wasn't particularly looking forward to it especially since what happened last time I saw him hadn't actually been a dream. I asked if I could go to bed instead – I really was beat but Pritkin seemed to work on a thirty-six hour clock. Giving him one last narrow-eyed glance I reluctantly walked back to the house.

I didn't know the way to Lord Mircea's rooms but another vampire – this one called Rafe – took me there instead. I didn't like being in the proximity of the vampire. I knew I had nothing to fear but I didn't like it all the same. I'd been brought up to hate vampires and think of them as low, vulgar creatures and a life time's worth of teaching and thinking wasn't going to change anytime soon. He didn't talk to me, perhaps sensing my unease, but just lead me there.

He left me at an ominous looking door. It was a shade of white that had some peach in it. I pushed it open. Lord Mircea was stood about a millimetre away from the swinging door. He looked pleased to see me and motioned me into the room by way of walking back into it. I immediately took my trainers off before stepping in and left them the other side of the door which I closed behind me.

I'd never been into this room before and, honestly, I didn't take much notice of it because Lord Mircea's presence dominated the room. He was powerful, that much I'd learnt, but learning and experiencing are different things. I felt myself shaking in my socks and I had a job looking into his coffee brown eyes. He dominated the room making everyone in here, i.e. me, know who was in charge. He was lord and master here, he didn't need a thrown to make people know that. He held himself with a serene poise that was graceful but menacing at the same time and his eyes spoke legions – he was proud of what he owned. He worked hard to get here and he wasn't afraid to defend it. Wasn't afraid to kill for it. I gulped and sat in a chair as soon as I was motioned to it.

"You're settling in well." He observed.

"I'm doing my best, Lord Mircea." I replied.

"You're training well with John?"

"He says I need to work harder but I'm doing my best, sir."

"You had fun with Cassie did you not?"

"Yes, sir. Well for a while."

"Until you let her be in danger." His voice went hard and his eyes narrowed slightly. I did not like the way this was going.

"I did what I though was best."

"But not what John told you to do I understand."

"We both judged the situation differently." I evaded.

"But surely he, a man with centuries worth of practice, would know better than a girl who's only just graduated and not seen anything of the world."

What could I say t that to defend myself? I stayed quiet.

"Well?" he asked in a honey smooth voice. I would have preferred him shouting at me.

"Yes, he would." I answered meekly.

He rose to his feet and circled my chair. Then he knelt behind my right shoulder and spoke in a low voice, his breath against my ear. "Then I fail to see why you endangered my Cassie's life the way you did."

I couldn't see him but I knew he was crouched like a panther ready to take down his prey. He stopped breathing and I was left on the edge of my seat waiting for the next breath, waiting for the next blink of his eyes. He was unnaturally still. Silent. I didn't dare move or make a sound. Even statue still I was still louder than he was. I was sure he could hear the erratic beating of my heart, my ragged breath, my tumultuous thoughts.

"Defend yourself." He ordered, his voice not even a whisper.

I jumped at the silent sound, the rush of air as it passed my ear when he spoke. I refused to scream. I gave myself a moment to restart my heart. There was nothing to say. I stayed silent.

"Normally I would gain your unwavering loyalty by taking some of your blood but I won't do that – Cassie asked me not to. You have much to thank her for because I would have made it _hurt_. I don't think it will be necessary after our calm discussion will it?"

"No, milord." I said just managing to keep my voice from shaking.

He stood up and sat on the couch opposite me, perfectly composed. "John has given you the rest of the day off. I suggest you use it wisely."

I stood and inclined my head towards him and left as swiftly as I could but trying to not look like I was rushing out. I strongly suspected I failed but by the time I was out the door it didn't really matter because tears began to run down my face. I wiped them away and put a brave face on.

Cassie shifted Mircea back to court. She hated that he'd done that to Ava but she knew that he would only have done the same thing when he got back from the business trip. She left him there and shifted straight back and went to Ava's room. She was already asleep but didn't look like the angel she was used to seeing. She had tear stained cheeks and puffy, red eyes. Cassie had known that Mircea would scare her but not enough to make her cry. Although she'd only known Ava a short time she knew that she'd be a tough nut to crack, almost as tough as Pritkin.

She didn't stay long. Only long enough to realise how tired she was form the long day and then went to her room. She didn't like being in the bed without Mircea – it was empty without him. To try and comfort herself she wore one of his shirts and lay on his side of the bed where the sheets smelt more like him. The scent was only faint but it was there. It was enough.

A few hours later she woke with a start. Sweat covered her brow, soaked the back of Mircea's shirt. She could hardly breathe for the confused thoughts tumbling through her mind. Fear quelled within her making her heart race. The situation had suddenly got more complicated.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey everyone, sorry for the long, long delay in UDing - been inundated with homewokr and my computer keeps having arguments with the wireless internet box but ehre it is the next chapter. Hope you like please R&R and tell me what you think. **

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Pritkin had been on shift for and hour longer than he should have been because one of the human staff had taken ill. For him it was only a mild inconvenience as he was use to sleep deprivation. For Ava it might be a different story. He thought about what he knew about the training schemes the circle held in place for the students in this regard. As far as he could remember it wasn't much. It was something he'd have to talk to Jonas about – when he had the time. Right now he had an imminent war to deal with. And Ava. Ava was doing well in her trainings. Better than he expected. The last time he had taken on an apprentice – over two hundred years ago – he had conducted their sessions in exactly the same way as he was doing with Ava and it had worked then. Now it was time for phase two – real training. So far he had been letting Ava beat him in every fight and had generally just bean easy on her. Well today things were going to change – even through lack of sleep.

He wondered how she'd deal with it. He suspected that she wouldn't be too happy about it. He'd heard her talking to Cassie a couple of times in the kitchen saying how she'd beaten him again and she sounded proud of it. By rights she should be, if he was even challenging her. He smiled at the thoughts of the debates that would follow.

The sudden change in tempo would test her patience and self belief – something that would constantly be under question when she was out in the real world. In the war. There wasn't a better time to implement the new tempo than the present so, without remorse, he made his way to Ava's room where he strongly suspected she'd be sleeping.

He hadn't been to her room in a few days but he remembered exactly what it looked like. What Ava looked like after the trip to the city – disappointed. This time she'd wake up looking pretty pissed off he was sure.

He opened the door to her bedroom without a sound and stole to the side of her bed. Her head was half covered by the quilt and she was curled up into a ball on her side, her face towards the wall. Taking the corner of the quilt in his hand he pulled it off her and tossed it aside. She jumped into a sitting position and her eyes flew open.

"What the hell, Pritkin?" she yelled. "We don't have training for another – "

Ignoring how beautiful she looked when she was pissed off Pritkin went to punch her in the temple. Ava scrambled backwards and fell off the other side of the bed. Before she could do anything Pritkin had already jumped over the bed and pinned her to the floor making sure she was unable to move.

Pritkin felt Ava's heat thundering into him and the banging of her heart against his chest. Her mussels were still tensed and she was breathing heavily through surprise and most likely anger. He'd pinned one of her arms by her side and the other above her head. Their faces were so close together, Pritkin noticed, that it would be quite easy to lean down and kiss her soft, womanly lips.

He abruptly stood and walked to the other side of the room. Ava got up more slowly and he could feel her glare on the back of his head.

"What the hell, Pritkin?" she asked more calmly but there was still a trace of anger in her voice. He could feel it prickling through the whole room.

"Training." He said and walked out leaving the door open behind him.

As he walked towards the ostentatious stair case he wondered how long it was going to take Ava to launch a counter attack. Below Rafe was working on the painting that would soon decorate the opposite wall that stretched three stories high. He was working quickly, he supposed, even for a vampire. There were no lights on in the space but even in the dark Rafe's vampire sight would be more than enough adequate enough for him to paint by.

Behind him Pritkin heard footsteps. They were silent to human ears but his sensitive ears picked out the sound easily. He carried on down the stairs as if he's heard nothing but he was waiting for the moment to tackle her to the floor again. He waited until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He grabbed it, flipped her over his back and once again pinned her to the floor.

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Which hurt like a bitch I can tell you. Pritkin sure wasn't playing fair this morning. Fire shot through my spine and for a moment I couldn't breathe. I was about to spring up when I was pressed even closer to the floor by Pritkin's body falling on top of me. Normally I wouldn't have complained too much but he was heavy and I'd landed on the stairs with blood rushing to my head. And he head butted me.

Half dazed I, against his neck, mumbled, "If you want to live to drink another cup of coffee, get off me."

For a moment something like fire shot between us filling the air and our souls. For a moment there was just him and me and that's how I wanted it to stay forever. Then I remembered he was an incubus and he'd kill me at the same time as loving me, some uncontrollable part of his body trying to quench its insatiable thirst. But still it would have been all too easy to wrap my arms around him and pull him somehow closer.

He lifted himself up without so much as a thought and walked off leaving me to figure out how to stand. I just rolled over in the end and ended up on my feet slightly unsteady from all the blood going to my head. Pritkin was at the bottom of the stairs in the foyer. Incubus reflexes. Yeah I was jealous. I hadn't even heard him land.

"Hurry up, Ava, you're late for training with Cassie." Pritkin called. I wondered whose fault _that_ was. "No time for breakfast this morning."

_What? _I whimpered to myself. I was starving. Pritkin, however, didn't appear to know the concept of food this morning… evening… whatever time of day it was. If one thing was sure it was that working on a vampire schedule was confusing.

"Now, Ava."

"Coming!" I half snapped. Fortunately my back was pretty much repaired form the heavy bruising I'd just sustained already.

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**So that's it. Like it? **

**Usual discalimer: the whole series and it's characters belong to Karen Chance **


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay to make up for my delay in Up Dating here's the next chapter as well. This is where things start to get interesting. Enter Rasputin, Thomas and Ralf. **

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Mircea arrived back just in time to hear the Consul call order to the Senate. Cassie had only just gone far enough back in time to make it look as though he had never left. The only person who appeared to have noticed was Jack. He raised an eyebrow that meant he had questions to ask but it would have to wait until later. It was a look that also meant that he would stop at nothing to get the truth. Mircea knew what Jack could do and knew it would be a much better use of both of their time to just come out with the truth straight away and decided to humour him. To an extent.

The Consul had begun talking about the up and coming battle. The black circle was becoming troublesome and needed to be stopped. There hadn't been a decision on where the battle was to be held as yet and it needed to happen soon – the black circle was getting more dangerous by the day. The meeting was to suggest a battle field. Many sights were suggested and were argued about, their pros and con's weighed up.

Whilst he was sitting there Mircea wished the Senate would take more action and do less talking. He amusedly took note of how he was starting to think more like Pritkin the closer this battle drew. He knew the proceedings had to be sped along somehow but he still didn't approve of the mage's often rash way of jumping into situations.

"Mircea do you not have an opinion on this?" the Consul asked.

"The mountains would give us a vantage point for a time. We could easily be attacked from all sides however. The enemy could also take the top of a neighbouring mountain and present us with an attack from the same height, if not higher, all too easily. Besides the silver mages probably couldn't handle the altitude." He replied smoothly, not even bothering to meet the gaze of the Consul who knew he was right. A small chuckle rose in the room somehow refreshing everyone instantly.

"But the black could?" she raised an eyebrow.

"They're made of tougher stuff."

The conversation carried on in much the same way for the rest of the night. Only when dawn was a couple of hours off did the meeting close, only to be resumed tomorrow. Jack intercepted Mircea before he could leave the room and motioned him to follow him to his private rooms.

Jack's rooms were dark even though there were lights on. Mircea remembered the space from the last time he'd been here. Black furnishings, black carpets, dull walls covered in heavy cloths. Jack sat down first. Mircea followed suit.

"Cassie needed you then." Jack stated.

"Yes." Mircea wasn't going to tell him what for – he didn't need to know.

"No doubt it was important."

"Yes."

"Not a man of many words tonight are you, Mircea?"

"No."

Jack leant forward in his chair resting his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands over the low coffee table. Mircea wondered at his sudden change in position. Normally when he wanted the truth he stayed very still, barely even breathed.

"Something in the Senate is wrong." He said.

"It's lack of action." Mircea snorted.

"No something else. Something far more dangerous."

Mircea was instantly intent. Jack was a man of deception – he knew this game all to well. Mircea was too, he had to be being the chief diplomat, but Jack had spent more time at court recently. Still he felt he should have noticed something. He looked into Jack's dark, half crazed eyes searching for the truth. He began to say something but the door opened.

Louis-César stood looking malevolently between them. He was a cutting figure in seventeenth century dress and wild curly hair blazing in the fire light.

"Did you think you could get away with overthrowing the Senate along with the rest of them?" Louis-César demanded his voice ice cold almost silent but seething with anger and a sadistic desire to destroy.

"We're planning how to stop it." Jack said flatly. "Kindly leave and rat us out or join us, your choice _Frog_."

Louis-César closed the door. "I'm in _monsieur goddamn_." Mircea recognised the name as what the French called the Brits during the Hundred Years War because of the amount of expletives they used.

"Stop bickering." Mircea interjected. "If the Senate is in as much trouble as you claim it to be then don't we need to work as a team?"

* * *

Cassie didn't want to believe what she'd just _seen_. Mircea, Jack and Louis-César plotting against the majority of the Senate. She didn't know if they were working for the good of the vampyric community for sure but she didn't doubt Mircea in the slightest. This left the only other alternative – the Senate, including the Consul, was somehow corrupt. This was bad no matter which way you sliced it. Groggily she rolled out of bed and walked into the bathroom to wet her face and wake herself up before she found Pritkin to tell him the grim news.

She found Rafe first. As usual seeing him was a comfort and he instantly knew something was wrong.

"Mia Stella?" he asked taking her hand and stroking soothing circles into it.

"Where's Pritkin? We need to talk."

"Training with Ava I think. Aren't you supposed to be there?"

"Yeah but right now this is more important. Find him and meet me in the kitchen."

Rafe left at vampire speed.

As soon as Rafe arrived Pritkin changed from being annoyed at Cassie's lack of turning up to battle mode alert in an instant.

"What's wrong?"

Rafe told him what was going on and they both left in a hurry leaving Ava following wondering whether she was supposed to follow or stay well out of it. She followed anyway. She had a feeling that if Pritkin wanted her to stay put he would have told her.

Pritkin burst through the kitchen door to see Cassie in the grips of another vision. Knowing there was nothing they could do Pritkin made a coffee and Rafe sat at the table and looked at the wall. Ava was puzzled until Pritkin told her what was happening and said to give her some space. She got an unhealthy breakfast instead, which the mage quickly swapped for a large bowl of cornflakes and a large glass of orange juice. Once the coffee was made Pritkin sat by Cassie's side and waited for the vision to pass.

"What did you see?"

"Death. Murder. Deception. Something in the Senate is very wrong. Mircea, Jack and Louis-César are trying to find out what it is." She looked blankly at the middle of the table.

"Do you know what is wrong?"

"No."

Pritkin debated for a hesitant moment. "We wait for them to return."

Rafe comforted her. Pritkin motioned Ava to follow him. She carried her breakfast with her not wanting to miss out on a meal. They went down to the gym and he made her do weights, running and rowing for three hours before even starting on new combat moves. With the new intensity of training Pritkin knocked her to the floor many times even after numerous demonstrations but she improved very quickly for someone so young. They'd been working for the majority of the morning when someone burst through the door.

"Pritkin!" one of the guards ran up to him. "You're needed out front. There're a couple of blokes there. One's Rasputin."

He began running wondering why such a notorious villain would walk straight up to a place where he would instantly be killed. He heard Ava following. He thought for half a moment that he should send her inside to stay safe but she needed this – to see what her world was full of that the circle didn't teach her to react too.

He could see the gates of the house – surrounded by guards. Rafe was there, in the middle. Pritkin slowed to a jog and pushed his way through the crowd with Ava in tow.

* * *

I'd never seen Rasputin before and the excitement at the prospect was enough to stop my abused muscles bitching at me and begging me to stop so they could sleep. But he was nothing like I imagined him to be. I imagined an overweight mobster guy who wore a lot of yellow but I was confronted with a different reality. He was a slender man, quite tall and had a kindly, age weathered face. He looked to be in his mid fifties and had slightly greying hair and a slightly receded hair line. Soft blue eyes looked at Pritkin begging for mercy. He was pale from lack of sun and fear. He had an aura of diminished power surrounding him that went back centuries. Somehow I think I would have had less trouble seeing this guy in tights, long hair and a doublet than jeans, polo shirt and short hair that was cropped military style. I didn't, however, dislike the chestnut brown colour of his hair which set off his eyes.

There were two other guys there, one which Rafe seemed pleased to see, sort of. He was a human in his late twenties and had brown hair and blue eyes, dressed in rumpled looking clothes that were slightly singed – a casual blue shirt and black slacks. The other guy was a vamp and Pritkin and Rafe were definitely not glad to see him. He had long black hair and dark eyes, dressed in a shirt and jeans.

"Rafe, he helped kill Tony, go easy on him." The human guy said. "Where's Cassie?"

"Which one helped kill Tony?" Pritkin demanded.

"Rasputin did. Thomas was busy saving our lives from his associates." The human turned back to Rafe. "Let us explain, it'll all become clear in time. Rafe, please."

"What about you? What excuse do you have?" Rafe asked.

"You know what Tony was like. I was just trying to survive. I've changed, Rafe. Just let me see her." he was pleading more than Rasputin was.

"See who?" Pritkin asked.

"Dad?"

* * *

I looked out my window to see a bunch of people gathered at the front gates. Not normal. Curiously I made my way over there. There were no guards in the halls. Not the best sign in the world. I stepped into Pritkin's room on the way and picked up a pistol. I still wasn't the best shot in the world but I felt better going in there with something to distract people with. I jogged over to the gates and pushed my way through the crowd.

A flood of memories poured into my mind's eye all of them from my short-lived childhood. Being spun round in the air, laughter, bed-time stories. But he was here in human form. A solid body. Could it really be true?

"Dad?" I whispered.

I stood there awestruck. I'd tried to find him. Ever since I'd learned there was some hope for him… And he was here. Standing a few metres away from me.

"Go on Cass." Billy-Joe said softly. He must have been on an energy high because I felt his slight nudge and he was, for once, not being a pain in the ass.

"Cassandra?" Dad asked in disbelief.

He was the same age I remembered him to be, still had the same spark in his eyes and the same… everything. I felt like I was a young girl again and I just wanted to break down and cry.

"You grew up." he said.

"You didn't." It was weird that there were only a few years between us now. I began laughing. Crying.

He was instantly by my side wrapping his arms around me. He even smelled the same as I remembered. He began crying too and I sank into him glad of his protection. Suddenly it didn't matter that I'd learned he wasn't the man I had believed him to be, that he was with the black circle when he had been here the first time round. He was here. Alive.

* * *

I wasn't sure what to do when the crowd eventually dispersed. Rasputin and Thomas were put under heavy guard and frogmarched somewhere, Cassie went with her dad and Pritkin followed. As usual I was left to follow like a lost sheep. We went to Mircea's rooms and sat with the doors locked.

Cassie's dad quizzed her about her life now that she was an adult and was surprised by everything he heard. Honestly, I wasn't surprised. It's not every day you come back from the dead – Pritkin had filled me in on his past – to find you daughter was dating one of the most powerful vamps out there and is Pythia. I thought he was going to faint at some point.

"I'll go and get him." Cassie said. "He should be finished at court now and he'll want to get to the bottom of what's going on." she _shifted_ out of the room.

Her dad, who I later learned was called Ralph, almost fainted again but his sallowness was replaced with a look of pride.

Something brushed against my leg and down my cheek. I jumped out of my seat and glared at where the feeling had come from. If I was thinking straight I would have said it came from another person but there was no one sitting in the space next to me. Ralph fixed a disapproving look at the space directly behind where I had been sat.

Cassie shifted back into the room with three people in tow. One was Mircea, another was a guy I had never seen before but had black hair and half crazed eyes wearing a black shirt and slacks. The other I vaguely recognised. He was only a blur in my memory but who forgot a guy who was wearing yellow stockings and looked like he was from seventeenth century France?

"Mademoiselle, you are better I trust." The Frenchman said with a slight bow.

"J'ai trés bon, merci boucoup, Monsieur…" yes I was proud of the fluent French I spoke.

"Tu parlé la Français? Je m'apalle Louis-César, et vous?"

"Je m'appelle Ava." We shook hands.

The other guy looked impatient. Mircea introduced us. I was stood in front of _the_ Jack the Ripper only he was a vamp too. Surreal or what?

Mircea took control of the situation by ordering Thomas and Rasputin to be brought here so we could all hear what they had to say for themselves.

When Rasputin walked into the room, when he saw me, his eyes filled with wonder. All eyes turned on me. I had no idea what this was all about. He walked towards me. Louis-César went to stop him but then held back for whatever reason.

"You survived." He gasped.

"What?" I asked thinking he really was crazy.

"You saved my life and sacrificed your own. Don't you remember?" he was looking at me with awed eyes and smiling. "I never got a chance to thank you. I'm forever in your debt, Madame." He pulled me into a fierce hug that was far too tight.

I just stood there not sure what to do. I'd never seen this man before in my life and he was… what? Grovelling almost. I could barely breathe and my chest had been constricted further than I thought possible. It began to burn. I looked to Pritkin for help. He looked enraged and stood behind the vampire.

"Let her go, now." He snarled.

When he didn't he tapped him on the shoulder and repeated his demand. Finally, he let go and was lead to a seat.

"Are you alright?" Pritkin asked.

"I thought he was gonna crush my ribs for a moment there." I joked as I rubbed my sides trying to get some life back into them.

Rasputin was sat wedged between Rafe and Louis-César and Thomas was sat in a chair with Jack stood behind him and a hand on his shoulder pinning him in place. Mircea was sat directly opposite with Cassie by his side. Pritkin was a step away from Thomas ready to pounce if the need arose. Other guards stood on the fringes of the room almost melting into the walls. From nowhere a bunch of vamps materialised. I didn't know what had happened to make Thomas and Ralph so infamous but I knew the story behind Rasputin. Whatever the other two stories were they must be bad for them to be under lock and key.

Tension filled the air and everyone was on edge. Thomas seemed more relaxed than everyone else and Mircea hid his apprehension and anger but I could see it in his slightly tense shoulders. I stepped forward and stood behind Rasputin made myself look scary and menacing. He quivered under my gaze and I heard him gulp. I kept my triumphant smile to myself. If I could make this notorious villain squirm I could safely say I could make anyone quake in their boots.

Pritkin glanced in my direction and nodded once in approval. I nodded back and waited for someone to speak.

"Mircea is this really necessary – he'd my dad." Cassie said.

"Yes it is. Just until we ascertain the facts, dulceaţă."

"He's repented that's all the information you need." She bit back and looked away from him. "Sorry Dad, but it seems Mircea is being an ass tonight."

"I won't risk your safety!" Mircea snapped. "If you don't mind I have business to attend to. Thomas what makes you think that you are welcome here, especially after your… traitorous acts?"

"I helped kill Tony didn't I? You should thank me."

"Not good enough."

"Cassie believes that I deserve another chance. You obviously don't know about what happened in Faeiry."

"Thomas silence!" Louis-César commanded.

Even though he looked like he wanted to say much more Thomas couldn't. I figured that Louis-César was his master. I also figured Thomas resented him.

"Thomas," Rasputin interrupted in a calm tone, "you aren't helping. Stay calm. Lord Mircea, might I explain how it came to pass that we three, a black mage, a 'villain' and a seemingly good vampire became united for a common cause? It is a long story but I believe it will settle much confusion."

"Yes, you may." Lord Mircea said after the slightest of hesitations.

* * *

**Let me know what you think! ~Fury**

**Oh, _Karen Chance_ invented the series so all the characters and stuff belong to her (: **


	14. Chapter 14

**First of all apologies - I forgot to put POV changes in the last couple of chapters but I'll go back and fix it now (thanks SynthesiaTastesGrey for pointing it out) but now onto the next chapter and _Rasputin's explination. A _slightly_ less _'awesome' (hey I'm quoting here) chapter than the last one but one that is completely needed. If you hated the Consul before you'll hate her a bit more after this. Oh, Karen Chance owns all! **

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* * *

**Rasputin slammed the paper down on the table after reading another fictional story of his 'corrupt villainy'. This time he was supposed to have stolen large amounts of money from the banks near his home. None of it was true but with the consul having these stories printed everyone would invariably believe them without question. He wasn't a villain he was a peaceful man but the consul hated him. Hated his way of life.

Not long after the consul had been elected he moved away from the rest of the vampyric community because he didn't like the politics of it or the way the black and silver circles were always warring against each other and the senate. He also didn't agree with the punishment system the rest of the vampires had – drinking from people who disobeyed the laws. They may have made some mistakes but not bad enough to be punished like that. So he moved away to live a quite peaceful life in the wilderness of Russia. However even in the twenty-first centaury he couldn't escape his sister's lies.

He knew he had to do something. After all he was the rightful consul if nothing else. So he made a plan. That involved killing her before she ostracised him this meant he needed the Pythia. He knew Agnes would never agree to his plan but he also knew she was dying. All he needed was to get the Sybil on his side and then he'd be home free. He and another stroke of luck on his side – the Sybil was already on her way.

In his past the current Sybil had paid him an unscheduled visit and told him who she was. He had been thinking of overthrowing his sister back then but when this opportunity arose itself he knew he could afford to wait. The Sybil had arrived on what he suspected was her first solo flight through time – she looked completely freaked-out and landed on her bum. He helped her out and the plan formed. He hated deceiving the girl but he persuaded her to come back and visit him in her time on the anniversary of arriving in his house. She'd blindly agreed to his ploy.

He remembered her as an innocent enough girl who looked like she'd do anything for power and recognition – the sort of person he needed.

"I'm back." a child's voice sang still full of innocence. The voice of the Sybil he'd met all those years ago. Finally his return was looming near.

_Horrible, horrible plan. Deceiving…. _

"Myra." He forced his smile remembering why he was doing this.

She looked exactly the same as she had back then, still dressed in white had the same blonde hair and pale gray eyes. He had to remember that it was only for him that they had met all those years ago. For her it was probably only a few months ago.

"I kept my promise. Keep your end of the bargain." She said with a jutted jaw. She seemed to have grown extremely confident and conceited over that short period of time too. Maybe that would help his plans move along more swiftly.

"You're going to be Pythia one day am I right?"

"Yes if some low time clairvoyant doesn't steel the job." She pouted.

Rasputin hadn't accounted for that. He needed to alter his plans but only slightly. He'd have Myra kill the clairvoyant and then he'd have the future Pythia under control.

"What's the Pythia doing about her?"

"Nothing." She sulked.

"Stay with me and you can kill her in any way you please." he purred with false cheer about this solution.

He reminded himself that the only thing that mattered was having his rightful place as Consul back in his hands. To do that he needed a pliable Pythia. He had one in his hands now if the willing expression of Myra was anything to go by.

Myra's eyes lit up like a fire work when he said she could kill the clairvoyant but as quickly as she let her delight show she schooled it into a look of suspicion. "What are your motives behind that?"

"When you become Pythia you'll want a compliant Senate correct? Well if you change some of the Consul's past actions I'll be in power. I'll lead the vampires and I'm sure we'll come up with an alliance that will suite both of us."

She seemed to absorb his words and the full meaning behind them. A smile lit her features and she nodded in agreement. "I'll start by killing this clairvoyant and then Agnes is _mine_."

Failed attempt after failed attempt happened and he began to lose patience. Myra assured him that she'd triumph next time. She came back empty handed.

He left the room in a fit of anger. How could the future Pythia not be able to kill her rival who, by the sounds of it was _untrained_? He slammed the doors of his mansion and locked himself in his library. In there, surrounded by books and history he felt himself calm down and he was able to think clearly.

Who was to say that even with this other clairvoyant that Myra wouldn't become Pythia? But what if the power didn't pass on to her? No he had to gain this woman's trust. Had to get to know her. That's what he'd do. He'd keep Myra around and find this other woman and make her trust him. It was a simple enough plan all he had to do was execute it.

He awoke the next evening and outlined his plan to Myra and his closest followers. His closest associate, a vampire called Georgina, however shattered his vision.

"There have been further attacks on our people, more tabloid reports." She pushed the evidence across the table to him.

He looked at the paper in dismay. It said that he had killed a human in an effort to quench his thirst and subsequently tortured her family. He tore the paper to shreds.

"Rasputin we can't stay here – we're constantly under threat." She said brushing blonde hair behind her ear. "I think I know a way to escape that."

"What do you have in mind?" he asked returning to his former calm composure.

"I know of someone who has a second portal to Faeriy. We could bribe him to let us go with him."

The plan was simple, effective. Safe. Well, almost. At least if the Fey didn't find them.

"Who is it?"

"Antonio."

Rasputin knew of that particular vampire's business affairs. He was despised among the other vampires and the silver circle. He had illegal dealings in both the human and magical communities, had good people killed just for the sport of it.

"Not that man. I won't make deals with him."

"Rasputin you have to." the blonde said firmly. "He can get us all to safety, well relative safety. He'll latch onto the reputation the consul has given you like a moth to a light and he will take us. After that he'll largely ignore us. He won't go to Faeiry by himself but he'll go with the protection he'll assume you'll offer him."

Georgina was speaking sense but he still didn't like the idea. He didn't want to make his false reputation worse but he knew he had to do something to save himself.

"Very well. Make preparations. Get that criminal over here so we can talk."

Antonio strode into the room like he already owned it. Rasputin looked upon him with disgust and contempt. _How dare this man walk into my home and claim it as his own? _He wanted to show this vampire a lesson and he wanted to do it in a way that would render him unconscious. That, however, would delay his plans. Instead he swallowed his fury and made it simmer down into a simple anger.

"You have a very simple house." Antonio looked around the house shrewdly no doubt plotting how he could make it his own.

"It is not for you to judge my home." Rasputin almost growled. "You no doubt want to know why I summoned you here."

Antonio let out a hearty laugh throwing his head back as he did so. "'Summoned'! _Grovelled_ more like."

Rasputin let his anger show. Antonio instinctively shrunk back into himself and his overly bright tweed jacket. Rasputin's anger was like a waterfall. It roared to life and freely flowed, crashing into him with a mighty roar forcing him to weather away beneath it. Seeing his adversaries fear, Rasputin sat back in his chair, steepled his fingers and smiled a sardonic smile.

"Not so big now are you, _Tony_." He mocked. "Now here's what you're going to do. You are going to take me and my people to Faery, where you will not harm them in any way and will largely leave us alone."

Tony knew a one way deal when he heard one and suddenly regained his composure. With narrowed eyes he asked, "What do I get from it?"

"I will order my people to protect you." He said simply.

A mocking light brightened Tony's eyes. He began to chuckle then out right laugh. His whole body shook with it for a full minute before he was able to control himself. "You, and your people protect us from the Fey? Impossible."

Once again Rasputin allowed himself to be overcome with the anger he was trying to contain. He shape-shifted into a lion, leapt at him with a roar that shook the house and demanded respect and fear. He was standing on him before could react and had his teeth millimetres away from Tony's face. He shifted back into his vampire form.

"Do not insult me." Rasputin snarled. "You are nothing but a child compared to me and have lived nothing but a blip of an existence. I am _old_ my people are _old_. You would do well to remember that." He let go of Tony's collar pushing his head towards the floor as he did so.

Tony slowly lifted himself from the floor while Rasputin calmed himself.

"Take us to Faery."

A few days later they arrived at the second portal, the illegal portal. Rasputin knew that if he wasn't already going to hell when he died he would be now. He hated the deception he was participating in – no one had the right to illegally enter the home of another but what choice did he have? Going there was bad enough but going with a convict made him feel sick. He waited for all his people to go first and then he travelled through the portal with Tony.

He'd been to Faery a number of times and each time it looked the same. It was a forested landscape that held danger in every corner. Vines would easily come alive and held you prisoner. This time it was different.

The land was barren. There was nothing in site. No greenery, no vines and roots, no animals. No Fey. It was like the land had been invaded and everything had fled from the intrusion.

The only thing there was a small house that could only house a few people but Tony said there was a vast underground tunnel system that was more than big enough.

They lived there for a week before anything changed. But then Myra failed to kill the clairvoyant again.

"The plan has changed." Rasputin said one day after taking blood from a Fey. "You won't go after the clairvoyant anymore. You obviously can't succeed even if you don't go after her directly."

"I can do it, Rasputin!" Myra glowered. "I will kill her!"

"No you will not! You won't even kill the current Pythia."

Myra simpered under the glare he fixed upon her but somehow he didn't think she'd back down permanently. There was a new cunning within her that made her a liability. He didn't however want to get rid of her. She would go back to a world where she was no longer welcome and would be killed. No he couldn't allow that. No one else needed to lose their lives in the battle he was trying to fight.

One day she simply didn't come back. Rasputin held himself responsible. If he hadn't have been so selfish that innocent girl would still be alive. She would possibly be Pythia by now and he could have asked for her help then. Why had he been so impatient? He took a candle and lit in her memory it from a safe distance using the magic he had. He stood there for a long time and watched it burn until it had fully melted before he left.

Tony was waiting to mock him on the other side of the door but one malevolent glare sent him scampering away.

"What are you going to do?" Georgina asked putting a kind hand on his forearm.

"Wait." He said taking her hand in his. "We wait for an opportunity. Tony has moved the portal and only he knows where it is so we can't go back. We have to wait." He sighed.

Seeing Georgina's unease at his solution he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and walked into his room.

A few days later there was a commotion outside on the deserted pains of what used to be rich soil that belonged to the Fey. Rasputin ran outside fearing the worst. What he saw was… interesting and didn't object too much to it. Someone was attacking Tony. That person was a vampire with long black hair and clearly had Incan ancestry. He was as graceful yet brutal as a cat and moved with deft, precise movements.

From out of nowhere the house was surrounded by vampires. Tony's people. Rasputin growled in rage. He ran over to whoever was fighting Tony and shoved him aside. There was no need to play the nice guy now. If he didn't do something his people, his family, were going to die.

Vampires poured out of the house and began attacking Tony's people. Vampires fought each other, ripping each other apart and destroying their hearts. The bloody battle waged for hours and hours, each person matched against their adversary. But it was always Tony's people who went down. Always them who fell.

Surprisingly it was only Tony who had any real fighting class as Rasputin was quick to learn. He moved quickly despite his size and wasn't afraid to break the rules honour dictated. Rasputin switched between his lion form and his natural shape sometimes going somewhere in between. For a long time he did that. Toying with his pray. In the end he would be glad to die.

When he was bored Rasputin took Tony's head in his lion's mouth and shook him from side to side like a rag doll. He was glad to hear the snapping of bones and tearing of sinews. He was still alive however. Unconscious but alive. He changed back into his normal shape leaving one lion claw. He used it to carve out Tony's heart.

His blood lust completely diminished he looked round to see the battle field littered with bodies of Tony's comrades. Some of his people were injured but most were still alive. The Incan was sat on the floor badly wounded. He walked up to him and knelt by his side.

"Will you be alright?" he asked.

"Tony was supposed to be mine. You robbed me of my prise so I'll take you!" The stranger growled and leapt at him.

Rasputin was quick to react and held him in his infinite strength without even trying.

Suddenly there was a roar of thunder and a flash of lightning. A large figure loomed over them and all that he saw. Taller than anything he had ever seen, Rasputin assumed the imposing creature was the Fey king. The Incan stopped squirming in his arms and looked upward.

"Your task is complete, Thomas of the Incas, you are free. Your captor however has a penance to pay."

Rasputin dropped Thomas and addressed him. "I came here to kill Tony. I made a deal with him so he would trust me and then I killed him." there was no trace of his lie – he'd had millennia to rehearse. "My people killed his comrades with the help if this Incan."

The Fey king knelt down from his great height and took the body of Tony between his thumb and a large finger. As he did so something dropped from his personage. The king never missed a thing and ordered it to be opened.

Thomas took it before Rasputin could and studied it for a moment. It was a plain looking box made from oak but there was magic surrounding it. He knew what it was. With a trembling hand he opened it.

A man materialised before him. He was of medium height and a slim build, had blue eyes.

"Who are you?" the king demanded.

The person didn't respond. Instead he broke down in tears falling to his knees as he did so.

"Ralph Palmer. The Pythia's father." Thomas said.

The king deliberated deciding how best to use the men in front of him before he had them killed.

"You," he pointed to Rasputin, "Will return to your home and stay there. In peace. You," he pointed to Thomas, "Will tell everyone of Tony's death and make sure my people are returned here safely. You, necromancer," Ralph looked up at the sound of his name, "Command that infernal Billy-Joe to make the other ghosts believe that the roomers he spread are false. I won't have any more ghosts barging in here to get their bodies back. You are to show everyone that even though you are of the black circle, a villain and a vampire, you can work in peace. Maybe that will stop this blasted war the Consul has started in turn keeping you people out. In return you will never come back here again unless you want to die."

"And why should this epic tale make _you_ innocent?" Mircea asked.

I'd been paying attention the whole time and the one thing that had nagged me from the beginning suddenly made everything fall into place.

"The lies your sister told. They were to make you look bad but really you're not. You wanted to change the past so that you could be where you should rightfully be – the head of the Senate. The Consul." I said in a moment of clarity.

"Yes."

Cassie was staring at him with an open mouth. As if to say are you crazy?

"Are you mad?" Well I was almost right. "Do you have any idea what you could have done? You can't just go round and fiddle with the time line to suit your own needs!"

"Cassie, calm down." Mircea gently interjected.

"Stupid vampires." I heard her mutter under her breath.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey everyone, here's my latest chapter. Apologies for being slow but I will be for the forseeable future. Anyway here it is, the next installment of my fic. Disclaimer: Karen Chance owns the Cassie Palmer series. Let me know what you think! **

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**"We need to make sure he's telling the truth." Rafe said once the three visitors had been taken out of the room and put into guest quarters.

"Yes. Cassie should check it out." Louis-César said.

"Ava should come too." Pritkin mused.

My ears instantly pricked up at this. Go back in time. No one could miss out on that chance. Feeling that Mircea would be the one to make the decision here I looked at him expectantly. He was weighing up the options, debating how best to keep Cassie safe.

"I'm not being funny, Billy, but that's not going to happen." Cassie said to the ceiling.

Wondering at her mental health I looked to Pritkin for clarification. He motioned me to stand beside him. Stood next to him I could feel his warmth seep through my jacket making it heard to concentrate for some reason.

"Cassie has a spirit friend," He whispered, "They've been together a while and he normally tags along when she goes back in time. That's what the God awful necklace is for. He's…"

"Bound to it." I finished.

"No way Billy. I'm not that stupid." She stood up and walked towards the space – now known as Billy – she was talking to.

* * *

Cassie was looking at Billy-Joe incredulously. He was suggesting killing the consul before this mess even started, back when she was a new vampire – it would make the world a better place. She was about to so say something when a vision seized her.

_The consul slid into the room holding a flaming torch at arms length. She didn't want it any where near her. She looked to the bed. Rasputin was lying in it. She was going to kill him. _

Coming suddenly back to the present she felt herself being dragged backwards in time. Someone touched her arm and was brought along for the ride.

* * *

Cassie went very still. Staring into space. I was the only one who could see her expression. No doubt everyone else thought she was listening to the ghost. I took a step towards her and touched her arm.

Suddenly we were somewhere else. No, some-_when _else. I jumped up from the stone floor and looked round. Cassie was stood behind me looking round.

"When the hell are we?" I asked having figured out what was going on. Somehow on the journey I reasoned that the nauseating feeling was time being bent.

She looked confused, astonished and kind of scared. "I have no fucking idea."

"What?" I squeaked. I grabbed her arm. "Cassie, what's going on?" I felt myself beginning to panic. _Focus, Ava. Focus. _I whispered to myself.

"We're way back." she breathed. "Like, _thousands_ of years. The Romans maybe."

"Cassie, _what_ is going on?" I asked slowly. It didn't matter too much _when_ we were just as long as we could get back. If we couldn't well… we'd cross that bridge when we came to it. For now what we needed to do was more important.

"The Consul is trying to kill Rasputin. We have to stop her. Without killing her." she looked into my eyes. "Ava, if it comes to a fight the only help I'm going to be is with a sword."

"I'll protect you." I said without hesitation. I sounded confident but I was shaking inside. Normally I would have said I was being brave for Cassie but I guess she was feeling braver than me at this precise moment. This was a normal occurrence for her – going back in time and all – but… yeah… the first time is scary. Especially as I had no real warning as to when it was going to happen.

She nodded once and silently moved off down a tunnel. I followed her just as silently sincerely wishing we were back at home, telling myself I needed to get a grip the whole time. I guessed I'd come into my own when it came to a fight

We were in a stone structure that looked too big to be a house, perhaps a palace. There wasn't a lot on the walls, just some cave paintings that had been placed on stone pedestals, the original stone carved out of a cave, and a few furs. The air was close, humid and warm. It smelled faintly of blood. Light came from sconces of fire casting ever flickering shadows on the walls. Our footsteps made no noise in the dead air.

Cassie stopped in front of a door in the wall to our right.

"This is it, where Rasputin is." She put her hand to the handle.

I caught her hand just before she turned it.

"If she sees you trying to stop her she'll try and kill you too – before you're Pythia. I'll go in alone." I reached for the handle but this time she stopped me.

"And what if you die in there? I can't let that happen. Too many people have died protecting me." she said fiercely, determination flashing in her blue eyes.

Pritkin had told me about this. Sometimes it really was like she was asking to be killed. That I could not allow. I wouldn't let Mircea down again. Or Pritkin. I quickly began to wish he was here – he'd know what to do.

"Damn it, Cassie." I almost exploded. "Just stay here and do as you're told for once. I know what I'm doing."

"I won't let you die for me!"

I forcefully pushed her against the opposite wall. "It's my job." I snarled doing a pretty damned fine imitation of Pritkin. "Now stay here and don't do anything stupid." I stepped away from her and was through the door before she could do anything.

The consul whipped round and fixed me a glare. It wasn't as scary as I imagined so I figured this was the consul from this time and not mine. She dropped the fire on the floor and ran at me. On reflex I launched magic at her sending her stumbling backwards. She landed on top of the bed waking its occupant up. She remembered her original motive and began to attack Rasputin. He fought back, murder in his eyes. That wasn't exactly in the plan. Who was I kidding, I didn't have a plan. _Ah, shit,_ I thought. It looked like I was going to have to get a bit closer to a fist fight than I really wanted to with a vampire. I jumped onto the bed and ripped the Consul away with a strength I didn't know I had.

"Get out of here. There's someone in the corridor who needs protection." I shouted at Rasputin whilst throwing a right hook at the Consul. She shoved me away like I was a flea and leapt at Rasputin.

Ignoring the pain in my head and back, I threw some magic at the consul to knock her off balance and shouted, "Rasputin, go!" and threw some magic his way and sent him crashing out of the door.

Now the consul was enraged and had _my_ death in the forefront of her mind. I'd known for a while now that I was gong to die for Cassie. Die protecting her. But I hadn't known it would be so soon. I still had so much more to learn, so much more life to live. I felt a burning ache in my chest as I contemplated my death. Somehow I managed to hope it would be long and drawn out so Cassie and Rasputin would have time to run away. I felt guilty that I would be leaving her and sad that I'd never see a certain pair of glittering green eyes again.

Pushing my nostalgia aside I focused on the task in hand. She was pinning me against a wall strangling me. I forced fire magic upon her and she pulled away screaming trying to put the fire out. I almost left her like that but Cassie's warning came to mind. _We have to stop her. Without killing her. _Damn it. I ran out the door, closed it behind me and put a magical seal on it. Then I recalled the fire magic. And ran.

My chest screamed bloody murder at me. Begging me to stop. Breathing hurt and I was pretty sure I could feel something sticky in my lungs. My head was bitching at me to collapse and welcome the blackness of unconsciousness at the very least but it would rather death. I figuratively shook those tempting thoughts away and focused on running, pounding one foot in front of the other. I coughed and spat up blood. But I had to keep going.

Something stopped in front of me and I crashed into it. I looked up and saw Rasputin's worried face behold me. He picked me up and we zoomed away at vampire speed. I forced my eyes to stay open and carried on coughing up blood.

I began to welcome death as time lost all shape and form. It swirled around me in lazy patterns sometimes bright, sometimes dark. A voice occasionally brought me round from my stupor.

I was on something cold. A hand came to my face. I opened my eyes. I accepted I was going to die. Everything became clear again. Rasputin. Rasputin was looking at me.

"Run away. You have to run away." The small effort had me coughing more blood up. "Go somewhere safe where she will never find you. Go and live in peace away from everything that's happened and is going to happen here. Promise me, Rasputin. Promise me."

I held his gaze and he nodded once before standing up. I felt my eyes close again. Something was said. An agreement made.

"Good. You'll be fine. Go. She'll be here soon." my voice was catching not only because I could barely breathe but because I was almost crying. I was fine with dying, I'd accepted it and, well, it was okay that I was going to die. What I was crying for were all the people I was going to leave behind. Cassie and Mircea, Rafe and the other guards I'd come to know. Pritkin.

Time began to loop again, this time because we were travelling through it.

I opened my eyes to see scared green ones look back at me.

* * *

"Ava. No!" Pritkin shouted but it was too late.

He'd realised what was happening a second after Ava but it was too late. Cassie shifted taking Ava with her.

"I guess we wait." Louis-César said and reclined even further in the chair he'd occupied.

Pritkin cursed under his breath. He'd been only millimetres away from touching Ava. He should have been quicker. If anything happened to Cassie… if anything happened to Ava… No there was no excuse for his mistake.

They sat around for ten anxious minutes before they shifted back. Pritkin did his best to not think about it. But what if something happened to Ava? What of she didn't come back? Although he'd seen generations and generations go by time seemed to be passing far too slowly, slower than he'd ever experiences in those few minutes when Ava was gone.

He sighed in relief when he saw them shift back into the room. Then stopped when he saw Ava. Covered in blood. He hurried to her side just knowing it was her blood because she wouldn't let anything happen to Cassie. Cassie was pulled out of the way by Rafe. Mircea went almost blank as he communicated with other vampires in the house and Louis-César made bandages from his shirt and put it them to the back of Ava's head, her chest, her arms, her leg.

Pritkin panicked. He knew she was going to die. He blamed himself. If he'd told her the truth already. If he'd told her and taught her how… It was his fault she was going to die. The vampire wouldn't be able to heal her quickly enough. Soon she'd be dead and he'd never forgive himself. _Think, Pritkin. Think. _

"John," Cassie said. "What if I…"

"Do it." He interrupted having reached the same conclusion as Cassie.

Cassie hadn't shifted other people out of their bodies for a few years but the skills came back to her as soon as she began doing it. She shifted the spirits over without anyone even really realising what was going on until Pritkin jerked back. Only it wasn't _exactly_ Pritkin.

* * *

"What the hell?" I was looking at my own body. My own body which meant I'd just died. But I didn't feel dead. If anything I felt full of life. So full of life that if I hade been in my own body I would have been incredibly hyper after the mother of all sugar rushes.

As I was looking down at myself – weird – I could see wounds closing and colour returning to my cheeks.

Then, as quickly a lightening strikes, I was shoved out of the body I was inhabiting and thrown back into darkness.

* * *

A few minutes later Ava was out of immediate danger. She still had concussion and would be asleep for a few days and be made to rest for a few days after that. Maybe a week or two. Then he'd tell her.

He sat back on his heels and breathed a sigh of relief. If Ava had died… Well what? He would have never forgiven himself? Maybe even died with her? He'd been denying his feelings since she arrived. She was beautiful and not just on the outside.

Cassie interrupted his wistful thinking. "Why didn't you –"

"She doesn't deserve to find out what she is like that."

Gently, he picked her up and strode out of the room. Instead taking her to her room he took her to his where he had an ensuite bathroom. He lay her in the bath and stripped her of all her clothes and the many bandages turned the shower onto its slowest setting. He washed the blood out of her hair and massaged shampoo into it then proceeded to wash the rest of her body. He didn't take in what she looked like as he was doing this. He didn't want to take advantage of her like that. When he was done he carried her to the bed. He didn't want to leave her naked under the covers and he didn't want to leave her. He dressed her in one of his shirts and a pair of shorts and once again, no matter how hard it was, he didn't take in what he was seeing.

He lay her under the covers. He brushed some hair from her cheek and left his hand lingering there. He'd spent so much time denying his feelings he couldn't help the rush of emotion that overcame him now. He was afraid that what he'd done wouldn't be enough to save her. If he didn't have Ava what would be the pointing going on in this world? He knew he loved her. Had known since the first time he'd kissed her to save his life. He'd done that before with Cassie, done a lot more with Cassie to save his life. But that one kiss with Ava had been enough. She'd responded to him and he'd filled with joy. From then he knew he loved her.

As he admitted it to himself a nightmare flashed before his eyes. His house, his wife lying withered beneath him. Dead. The cries of pain that had pierced the air as she screamed in fear. Fear of him.

No he could not let himself love her. He wouldn't let himself love her. If to love her was to kill her than he wouldn't love her at all because, surely, he could endure the pain of seeing her and not being able to love her for the rest of eternity, than have to live for ever knowing he'd killer her.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys, just a short chapter this time round. Hope you like it! **

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**Pritkin was asleep when I awoke. He looked like he had been awake for a long time so I didn't wake him. Not that I wanted to move or anything – I had a killer headache. Besides that I felt fine. I reasoned the vamps had healed me since I distinctly remembered breaking a few ribs and they felt fine.

Light was just beginning to stream in through the window. It as only a soft light – dawn I think – but it was too bright. I squinted against it hoping to ease the pain. It didn't work. I groaned in resignation and pulled the quilt over my eyes.

"Ava." Pritkin softly said. I heard him stand up and take a small step to the bed.

Pulling the quilt down, I quietly, whilst I was yawning, said, "Hey, Pritkin. Close the curtains."

When the too bright light was gone I opened my eyes and let them adjust to the darkness. Already my headache was receding slightly. Deciding to sit up wasn't the best idea because dark spots swam into view but I'd be damned if Pritkin saw me struggle to do the simplest of things. I gritted my teeth and waited out pain. Pritkin moved to my side and took all my weight leaving me to shuffle into a sitting position leaning against the pillows. They were softer than I remembered. Itchy too.

When the world stopped spinning I looked around. I wasn't in my room. This one was green and simplistic. Wardrobe, draws, desk, chair, bed. Phials and jars everywhere. Duster over the back of the chair.

"Uh, Pritkin, why am I in your room?"

"I was on auto-pilot." He lied.

I let it slip not awake enough to argue. I didn't, however, want to stay in his room. It was not only a bit weird but I preferred my pillows. And it didn't smell like stuff to kill daemons with. It was a wonder that he, a half incubus, could bare to make such a weapon. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye and realised it really didn't matter who or what he was just so long as he could protect Cassie.

"I can't stay here, Pritkin." I said and swung my legs outside of the bed.

Once again the world spun and I had to stop for half a second. I stood and the world spun again but, upon seeing Pritkin make his way over to me (no doubt to try and stop me), I knew I had to carry on moving. Sure enough his arms closed around me to not only stop me but keep me on my feet.

"Stay." He said his breath lightly brushing my hair. "You won't get to your room without collapsing." He said brusquely, which was more like the tone I had expected from him than the soft, pleading tone he'd used just a second before.

I broke from his grasp and took another couple of steps towards the door. Once again he put his arms around me, warm and strong, keeping me safe from my far too independent self.

"Ava, go back to bed."

"That's were I'm going right now. Back to _my_ bed." I side stepped him only to be stopped again. "Let me go, John!" I struggled against him.

"Ava, stay."

I looked up into his eyes and was enraptured by them. They were greener than I had ever seen them, fraught with concern and a tenderness I had never seen before. I found that I couldn't breathe and I couldn't feel my own weight. Time seemed to become suspended. The air became heavy between us turning thick and heady.

"The vampires said for you to stay here." He became all serious again, shattering the atmosphere. "The bathroom's close – if you need it."

He caught me as my knees gave way. I was so tired. Which was stupid. I'd barely gone anywhere.

He knew admitting his feelings for her was a bad thing. He knew that he would find it harder to ignore them and treat her as a student but never did he think it would be so difficult. His heart had skipped a beat when he held her, when she looked into his eyes. She felt fragile in his arms. So small and young. It was almost a crime for him to love her. But he felt so right holding her. And in those moments when they touched the darkness that governed his actions lifted and he felt at peace. It was a peace he'd longed for, yearned for his whole life and Ava could bring it.

Images and a voice broke through the barriers of his mind. Withered, old before her time, screaming. His wife had lay beneath him begging for salvation. Her life-force flowed out of her very soul. And he'd destroyed it, her. He already knew he was going to hell for the crimes he'd committed, but he'd be damned some more if he ever did that to Ava.

No he could not let himself love her.

He left the room to go on duty even though it wasn't his shift.

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**Aww... .**

**As always: the Cassandra Palmer series belong to Karen Chance**


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry for the huge delay but I FINALLY have my glasses and can actually see. Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it. Oh, yeah, the Cassandra Palmer series belongs to Karen Chance. Not me. **

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I wasn't too with it when I awoke again. It was dark and there appeared to have been a power cut in the time I was asleep meaning my alarm clock was wrong. Therefore I had no idea what time it was but I was most definitely hungry. I sat up and thankfully the room wasn't spinning this time round.

"Mircea desires our appearance straight away." a confident French voice said making me jump.

Louis-César was leant against the chest of draws which I could now clearly see as my eyes had adjusted to the lack of light. He was still dressed in bizarre clothes but, honestly, after going back in time I wasn't particularly fazed.

"Can't I get some food first?" I asked pulling a thick black jumper over my pj's. I realised it wasn't mine when the cuffs fell over my fingers but I wasn't bothered much. After my last encounter with Mircea I didn't want to keep him waiting. Nor did I want to appear in pyjamas which I slowly realised weren't actually pyjamas but shorts and a t-shirt, and I wasn't actually in my room.

The events of what happened back in whatever time Cassie had said came crashing back to me. Once the short shock of my second near death experience wore off I remembered where I was. Pritkin's room. That meant I was wearing his jumper. And everything else I was wearing belonged to him as well.

"Come, Mademoiselle, Mircea is waiting." Louis-César said taking my arm. "We should not keep him waiting."

I let him lead me to Mircea's rooms in a strange kind of daze, the strange expression in Pritkin's voice last time I talked to him running through my mind.

* * *

"She will try to kill her, Mircea." Pritkin said with a self assured air that was put in place only to cover his fear.

"Cassie will know if that has a possibility of happening. She will be safe."

Pritkin wanted to believe him but he would never be satisfied she was safe unless she was in his sight.

"We have greater things to occupy our minds with. The Senate is corrupt but as to the extent of that corruption we do not know. Our main concern right now is learning the extent of that corruption." Mircea sat in a chair and crossed his legs.

"I'll ask around." Said Jack with an unmistakable glint in his eye. "I will discover the extent of this treason."

"Discreetly, Jack."

"Very well. What do we tell the consul?"

"Nothing." Ava said.

She was still dressed in the clothes Pritkin put her in the day before. She seemed radiant even though she was hiding her self consciousness. He'd been captured by her beauty before and although she didn't look as polished as she usually did, her current state of undress made her look more beautiful than ever. He imagined that's what she'd look like after a night of passionate love making. He inwardly blushed at his thought and made himself focus on what she had to say.

"She doesn't know what happened in Faery, doesn't know that Tony is dead." She shrugged. "What she doesn't know can't hurt her. Well…" she sat in a chair and drew her feet up under her. "About the only thing we can do now is let Rasputin deal with her. He's the only one powerful enough to do it."

"Are you sure of that?" Pritkin asked. He strode towards her and knelt in front of her taking her small hands in his. Once again he felt right doing it and for half a heart beat he let himself feel the desire to destroy lift and everything within him was at peace. "Ava, you have to be sure if we are to form a plan around what you witnessed." He knew he didn't have to elaborate for her to know what he was talking about. Her slight flinch told him that much. He hated seeing her in pain but, although he hated it admit it, it was necessary on this occasion.

"He is powerful enough to do it." she narrowed her eyes as she slowly spoke. "I'm certain of it. She tried to kill him with fire instead of taking his heart straight out. There was something about him that suggested dominance and a greater strength." She looked into his eyes, hers were set with a determination he admired. "He can do it, John."

"Okay." He nodded once.

"We can't actually do anything until we know how many of the senate are corrupt." Jack interjected shattering the atmosphere that had developed like a bubble around Ava and Pritkin.

"You may as well get Ava some food, John. There's nothing more you can do here." Mircea said, a knowing, almost teasing glint in his eyes.

Pritkin gave him a flat look in response and quickly exited the room behind Ava.

* * *

"So the war is escalating." I stated.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a war." Pritkin said mysteriously.

I stopped in my tracks. "Pritkin, you're planning to kill the Consul." I said in a dead pan voice.

"Yes, yes we are."

"You sound distracted. What's up?"

He looked in to my eyes and, after a pause, said, "Nothing." Before turning away and strode off down the corridor.

"Come on, you need some food." He called.

I only hoped it wasn't going to be too healthy.

"She will try to kill you." Pritkin said as soon as I sat on a stool almost making me fall off it.

"I know." I said quietly shrinking back into the jumper I was wearing.

"She'll try and do it in your past somehow."

I shrank even further into the jumper and brought my hands up to my face as if hiding behind them would protect me. The sleeves of the jumper still covered my hands and I could smell _him_ on it as if it hadn't been washed since he last wore it. He had a strong yet subtle smell that was completely intoxicating. It comforted me more than I thought it would.

"I know." I repeated behind my scrunched up hand even quieter than before.

As I said it I knew that if the Consul succeeded in killing me in my past then I would never even have known him which scared me more than the idea of my death.

"I won't let it happen, Ava." John put a hand on my shoulder as he put a plate in front of me. So far it was empty but I could smell something burning.

"Uh, Pritkin," I looked up at him, "you wanna save that, 'cause I sure as hell don't like cremated bacon." I said flippantly.

* * *

"What do you think of, Mircea?"

"He's an excellent negotiator, Consul."

"Yes, Jack I know. But what do you really think of him?"

The Consul saw the slight narrowing of his eyes. She knew Jack was trying to figure out what she was planning, what the reason behind the question was. She wasn't worried. She wasn't worried about what conclusions he would come too. She was confident that no one could discover her intentions unless she told them directly.

"He's a loyal member of the Senate, Consul. He'd go as far as to die for you. Of that I am sure."

"Yes but what about his intimate interactions with the _Pythia_?" she spat the last word.

Jack already knew some of the Consul's past actions and could only guess at what she was plotting. He now tried to figure out what she was up to. He knew that she'd tried to kill Rasputin to become Consul, she was probably now going to try and kill Ava in her past and she was questioning Mircea's loyalty. He had no doubt that her main motivations were power – it's what all vampires craved. But how she was going to get more power was still just beyond his comprehension. He knew it was close, just in the grey areas of his mind that was almost consciousness but at the same time almost sub-consciousness.

"He will still do anything you ask him too. Lady Cassandra is just a way to pass the time." He lied.

"I'll let you think that, Jack. Personally I'd like h…" she zoned out and then straight back in again, "I'll see you later, Jack."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 19

"We didn't expect to see you quite so soon, Consul." Rafe said as he stood from his painting. He'd been working on some insects that were taking longer than he reasoned they should have but he didn't mind – he loved his art.

"No. Where's Lady Cassandra?" the Consul spoke with an undetected hint of spite when she spoke the name.

"With Pritkin I expect. I'll go and find her if you'd like to go straight to Lord Mircea's rooms?"

"I will."

On the way Rafe pulled his phone from his pocket and called Mircea, urgently telling him the news.

"Which Pythia?" she snarled.

This time I was scared of her. It was the Consul from our time and she was about to snap my neck. During training Cassie had gone back in time skilfully timing it to when both Pritkin and I had been touching her. Right now Pritkin was lying unconscious on the floor and I was being held against the wall. No doubt she knew that he was immortal so assumed he could be over here with any Pythia.

"I won't tell you." I gasped, my world going black.

She let the pressure go and I was finally able to breathe a little. Seeing the opportunity I fired as much magic at her as I could muster and was satisfied when she took a step backwards. As she did so she closed her vice like grip once more and I was unable to breathe again.

Suddenly fear flashed through her eyes and she let go. I fell to the floor as she spun wildly round. Someone, Pritkin I assumed, dragged me out of the room and forced me to run. Seeing I wasn't going to get very far he picked me up.

Someone was running towards us, her face turned away as she sent a barrage of bullets down the corridor. Pritkin dropped me and began firing as well at the same time as dropping me a fire arm of some kind. Cassie was now stood next to me and helped me up as I fired a few rounds probably only distracting whoever I was firing at as Cassie had been.

"Did you do your thing?" I croaked, my words barely audible which didn't seem fair as it felt like I was shouting them.

"Yeah."

She grabbed Pritkin's coat and _shifted_.

"Mia Stella!" Rafe exclaimed in a whisper. "You have to get her out of here. The Consul's here. She wants to see you, Cassie."

Cassie went slightly pale.

"I'll go with you." Pritkin said. "Ava, get something to drink and a rest. We'll continue training after this."

She nodded in response and Rafe went with her.

Pritkin opened the door to Mircea's apartments and let Cassie go in first. The consul remained seated. Cassie did not bother with pleasantries and sat straight down without invitation. Neither said anything for a few long moments.

"No doubt you know why I'm here." The consul said.

"Something to do with the war." Cassie shrugged.

She'd never really liked the consul before but after what she witnessed with Ava and knowing that she was fiddling with the time line wasn't exactly earning her any brownie points. Just a few moments ago Cassie had found the consul trying to kill her off when she was still in the 'care' of Tony. Definitely no brownie points. It was all Cassie could do not to give herself away.

"Yes. The silver circle have finally accepted the terms of our contract and we will be launching a full scale attack on the black circle in a few weeks."

"A few weeks?" That didn't leave Mircea much time to investigate her real motives. For all anyone knew they could all be walking into a trap which didn't seem too far fetched given what they knew she had done to become Consul.

"Very well but that is no business of mine why are you really here?"

"To make sure you are well. I heard someone tired to kill you in your past. Do you know who?" She knew of course that Cassie did know and that she was going to be lied too, but asking the question was worth seeing her squirm.

"No not at all. All that matters is that I'm here alive and very well, thank you." She replied courtly some anger in her blue eyes.

The consul detected the shift in her overall emotions towards her. She knew that Cassie had never really liked her but now there was a scathing loathing evident in her mind. Consul had to try and not smile. It was exactly the reaction she was after.

"I'll kill her if you want." Billy Joe said as he floated through the wall, a scowl on his face. "For you and Ava."

Cassie ignored him.

"Well if that is all, Consul, I'd like to get something to eat and a drink. Pritkin, would you and Rafe escort the Consul back to MAGIC?" Cassie stood and walked out of the room doing her best not to shake.

Pritkin waited for the Consul to move before he stepped away from the wall. He wondered why Cassie was torturing him like this. She knew that the Consul had tried and very nearly succeeded in killing his Ava and he wanted revenge. But he couldn't do it here. He wanted her to suffer before she died in the same way that Ava had suffered. He wanted the Consul to feel pain and then he would cut out her heart and destroy it. It was only through clenching his jaw that he did not harm her.

Rafe joined them with Mircea on his heels. Mircea saw John's tension and desire to kill and had difficulty keeping the smirk from his face.

"We'll take it from here, John." He teased.

We landed on the floor much harder then we expected.

"Jeez Cassie, this is the second time in two days. Who wants you dead?" I grouched as I picked myself up off the frozen ground. I had a bleeding elbow already and we hadn't even done anything yet. I felt around in the dark for someone's arm.

Pritkin whispered in my ear and I had to contain a scream which slowly turned into a pleasured shiver. Everything became slightly lighter around me as the charm began to work. It was still pretty dark though. He walked over to Cassie and heightened her sight too.

"God, it's dark." He muttered.

I stood up holding my elbow whishing it would stop bleeding. I was generally quick to heal though so it would scab over in about twenty minutes.

"I think they're after you again." Cassie said.

My heart stopped working for a coupe of moments and my knees went weak. Pritkin caught me before I hit the ground. "What do we have to do?" I gulped my voice coming out as nothing more than a whisper.

"It depends how they're going to do it." Cassie said. "Do you know where we are, Pritkin?"

I had a proper look round. The space we were in was the sports field, up ahead were the picnic benches and around the corner was the middle of town.

"Stratford." Both he and I said together.

I stood properly and began walking towards the Silver Circle HQ. That was only place I was going to be at this time of night.

"It's nineteen ninety three." Cassie said.

I stopped in my tracks. For a moment I felt like fainting. Once again Pritkin supported me but I barely noticed this time. My head started spinning with the possibilities. So many thoughts spun around in my mind I could barely make sense of them. I was vaguely aware of someone shaking me and nails digging into my shoulders, someone calling my name.

The rain woke me up a little. Heavy drops of it pelted down and made it hard to see, but easier to think.

"It's winter. Nineteen ninety three." I whispered. "The worst storm we've ever seen."

Strong hands cupped my face and my vision was almost entirely blocked by green eyes.

"What's going on?" Pritkin demanded.

"It's my birthday. I arrived here the day I was born in the middle of the worst storm on record." Something hit me like a lead weight. What else had I been told about this night? _Your mother arrived looking old, frail, even though she was only twenty five. _"There's an incubus around here somewhere." Pritkin's eyes went wide. "She arrived at the south entrance. We should try there first."

We all took off at a steady run as Pritkin dished out weapons for us all. Somewhere in his duster he'd found room to hide two swords, one for Cassie and the other for myself. He had a gun for himself but I suspected he'd rely on magic when the inevitable battle came.

The rain made it hard going, turning the field into mud, taking away any grip we would have otherwise had. Running through the town centre was easy in comparison and before long we were on the grounds of my old home. The Silver Circle Headquarters. The south entrance was around the other side but we could already see a battle of some sort going on. Cassie grabbed our hands and _shifted_.

We were stood a little way off from the fight and we could see that we were already too late. The last burst of magic from the mage fired and the incubus set on her greedily lapping up her life force.

Pritkin and I leapt into action with Cassie closely following. We both fired magic at the incubus but it seemed to only be a slight distraction. A burst of magic came from it and knocked Pritkin off his feet and crashing to the floor. Unconscious. I threw more magic at it and then rooted around in Pritkin's pockets and pulled out a bunch of potions. Not really knowing what they were I pulled all the stoppers off them and threw them at the incubus and hoped for the best. Magical knives also went flying at it more of a distraction than anything else. The monster stopped what it was doing and howled before turning on me.

"Don't worry Sellah, I'll get the cub." It purred and slunk towards me.

My heart went into my throat and I had to bite down a scream. I slowly backed away all my training forgotten. I'd fought humans and vampires before but Incubi were completely different. A different kind of evil. I tripped over something and scrambled backwards. It cursed and I realised it was Pritkin. He looked up and shouted a curse of some kind and threw another potion at it.

In front of us a woman's screams pierced the night. She was begging for mercy.

Pritkin dragged me up and said something to me which I just about made out. We ran forward at the same time shouting the came curse. The second incubus drifted away with a low moan of pain. Cassie was hovering over the woman. I ran over to her and she moved out of the way.

The woman I looked at was old beyond her years, hair turned gray and skin sallow like parchment that would break at the slightest touch. I didn't dare touch her in case she crumpled away. Tears came to my eyes and a lump formed in my throat. I was looking into the eyes of my mother.

"Mum." I whispered.

She smiled and raised her hands to me passing a bundle of cloth. The bundle of cloth was me.

"Take care of her." she whispered. "Take care of her. Her name's Ava-Marie Morgana LeFay. I wonder what she'll grow up to look like."

"Like me… Mum I came back in time with the Pythia… I'm your daughter." A couple of tears spilled out of my eyes and fell on her face. "Who did this to you? Who is Sellah?"

"He's your father." Her eyes closed. "I love you Ava…"

"There's someone coming. We need to go." Cassie said gently.

I stayed staring at my mother. Someone took the baby from me and put her – me – back in her mother's – my mothers – arms.

"Ava, we need to go." A brusque voice said and strong hands lifted me up.

We walked a short distance away and turned to look when light pooled on the grass not too far behind us. A younger looking Mr. Hill stepped into the storm and knelt by Mum's body. He picked up the bundle of cloth and walked back inside.

Cassie took our hands and _shifted_.


	19. Chapter 19

**Been a while again, sorry. It was going to be a few days a go that I updated but the worst cough in the world also decided to make my eyes hurt every time I moved them, but here it is! Hope you enjoy. Oh, Karen Chance wrote the Cassandra Palmer Series, not me. **

* * *

"You knew the whole time didn't you!" I accused.

Pritkin had had the guts to walk into my room after refusing to training me for three days not that I minded the space. He'd been lying to me for the entire time I'd been here. If anything I wanted to put as much space between me and him as possible but I knew that with the Consul trying to kill me it was a stupid idea, impossible even. Mircea wouldn't let me go anywhere. I also doubted Rasputin would either. God, I'd actually forgotten all about him.

"How the hell was I supposed to know? You didn't tell me. You kept secrets from me. Secrets I will not forgive." He snarled.

"Oh no, you knew. You had to. I couldn't have survived otherwise." He actually looked puzzled. I dignified him with an elaboration. "After I saved Rasputin. There was no way the vampires could have done that. You fixed me somehow." I thought about it for a second and then had a brain wave. "Cassie helped you didn't she. She pushed your… soul, essence or whatever into me and you healed me. You had to know about that. That I'm…"

"Yes you're half incubus but that's not what I'm on about." He growled. Honestly it was scarier than if he'd shouted. "You're one of them – "

"Don't you think I know that. Thanks for telling me before I found out by going into my past –"

"A LeFay. A _Morgana_."

"_What_?" I asked incredulously. He was angry about the rest of my _name_? He was more off the handle insane than I thought he was.

"My real name's Merlyn." He folded his arms over his chest either triumphantly or perhaps to stop him going for a gun or something.

"You're hung up on some… Arthurian _legend_! That's stupid!"

…..

"It is not!" he roared and took a pace forward.

Ava held her ground but Pritkin could see the slight fear in her eyes. Although she now knew the truth of her past, who she really was, she was still wary of him even though she would put up a good fight if it came to that.

"Do you have any idea," he snarled, "what your ancestor tried to do to Arthur? If you knew… Even since her all the LeFay descendants have been from human mothers and Incubi fathers. That's why she had so much magic. She wanted to rule. She tried to kill him. Numerous times. Ever since then I have vowed to kill any Morgana I see."

"Kill me then." She said raising her chin in defiance and crossed her arms.

Pritkin looked at her. She was so sure of herself. So brave. She must know that he could kill her in a heart beat. He could easily reach out and snap her neck without breaking a sweat. He could launch a magical attack that would shatter her shields and kill her. She'd fall dead in a matter of seconds, her life force draining away and he could consume it just as he'd promised Arthur he would when he lay on his death bed.

She held his malevolent gaze with ease, gently gazing back into his eyes. He turned away from her and strode out of the room.

….

I turned away from where he had been stood and stared out of the window. A single tear ran down my face.

…

Mircea sat in his chair in his lounge with Rasputin, Louis-César, Jack and Rafe sitting on the couch and chairs. He leaned back and stretched a leg out whilst holding the nul bomb in his hand.

"Where did you find this?" Rasputin asked.

"In her personal store." Jack said. "Not too unusual given that we're about to go to war with the black mages, but still strange."

"This is even stranger." Pritkin striding into the room, hauling a squirming satyr behind him. "I found her sneaking around muttering that the Consul won't be happy if she gets found. Came from Danté's apparently." He pushed her to the floor and loomed over her. She cowed further into the carpet and whimpered.

Jack slowly rose from his chair and knelt by the satyr. Her blonde hair covered her pale face obscuring bright blue, fear filled eyes. Jack lifted it and pushed it behind her ear. She cringed away from him. He studied her for a moment tilting his head to one side. Something evil and wicked glinted in his eyes making her let out a strangled sob.

"What is your business here?" he asked. There was something un-natural to his voice. Something callous and dark.

She refused to speak and turned away from him.

"I'll hurt you if I have to. Answer now and it'll be… less painful."

She adamantly shook her head.

"Come now, sweet, tell me." he purred. "I won't let the Consul know you were here. She'll only know if you tell her. Now you sit up." he said too gently and pulled her into a sitting position. "And tell Jack what you're here to find out. Just whisper in my ear." He moved his head towards her.

She moved her head as if to whisper but when her mouth was close to his ear she bit down on it causing him to howl in pain. They both jumped up at the same time. Jack back handed her sending her flying towards Mercia who lazily moved his feet.

The satyr looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"I suggest you answer his questions, young one." Mircea said pleasantly. "You won't last long against him. You'll last an even shorter amount of time against both of us. I have an unusual liking to satyr."

"I will get the information I desire eventually. All that depends on how soon it is is you. And the longer I have to wait the more impatient I will get and the more impatient I get the more this will hurt." Jack grinned before swiftly picking her up and running at vampire speed to another room.

The Mircea, Louis-César and Rafe followed. Only Pritkin and Rasputin remained.

"You should apologise to her." Rasputin said.

Pritkin slid his green eyes over to him. "Why would I do that?"

"Gentlemanly thing to do." Rasputin shrugged and walked out of the room.

"Rich coming from a vampire." Pritkin muttered and left behind him.

Jack locked the door behind him. This he would do alone. He always worked alone. He didn't like people watching him. Distractions. That's what they were. Distractions. He could do without them. That's why he hadn't got the answer already. Distractions.

He sat her down on a bench that was facing a mirror. He circled her never taking his eyes off her.

"Well," Louis-César said looking at the door Jack had just slammed in his face, "I will go back to MAGIC and see what's going on there. I have an audience with the Consul in an hour."

"You all need to go, actually." A new voice said, its owner – a vampire woman – bowed respectfully to Mircea. "The Consul has arranged a senate meeting. Lady Cassandra is to attend."

Mircea stiffened and a thousand thoughts raced through his mind phenomenally fast even for a vampire.

"We won't let her out of our sight, Mircea." Rafe said gently. "I'll stay by her side the whole time. As will the mage."

"Ava needs to be protected." Mircea said to the woman, "Ensure she's never left alone… Put Thomas with her."

"Mircea," Louis-César began, "I am not sure that is a good idea. He does not readily follow orders he will be a liability."

"Make him follow orders. He's your servant after all."

Ava wasn't happy to hear that everyone was leaving to go to MAGIC. She didn't protest knowing that the meeting was more important than her safety but she didn't' like it all the same. Since she'd arrived she'd been surrounded by people she knew, now though she was being left with a vampire she didn't know. Thomas could feel and smell her fear from across the room. He was sat on the floor by the door and she was sat on her bed looking out of the window with her knees drawn up to her chest. She had been sitting like that for the past half hour.

"Do I intimidate you?" Thomas asked.

Ava turned to him slightly. "What?"

"You're afraid of being alone, that the Consul is going to kill you, but there's something else I cannot figure out." he stood up and walked towards her. He placed a reassuring smile on his face and injected some colour into his skin. He even went as far as breathing and blinking to help calm her.

"What are you up to?" Ava asked getting off the bed.

"Why would I be getting up to anything?" he countered in a silky voice.

Ava looked away from his hypnotic eyes. "You're a vampyre. You always have ulterior motives." She walked towards the door not bothering to hide the fact she wanted to get away from him. Thomas was annoyed at that but he didn't let it show. All he wanted was to ascertain her feelings. It had been easy for him to do that with Cassie before she was Pythia, when she lived in the human world. Why was this different? Maybe it was because she knew hew as a vampyre and she didn't trust them that much.

"I'll follow you wherever you go." He said before thinking. "I have to protect you. They were my master's orders." He stopped moving and dropped all pretences of being human and she seemed to relax. Perhaps she trusted him more when he wasn't pretending to be something he wasn't.

"Okay now that you've stopped freaking me out I'm going to get some food and then find Rasputin. Is the necromancer still here?"

The council meeting was in session. Cassie sat in a chair of her own with Rafe stood by her side with Pritkin. Louis-César was next to her and Mircea was opposite. The council members were sat in a semi circle as the usually were.

"Lady Cassandra," The Consul began. She was wearing a modern looking suit which struck Cassie as strange. Whenever she'd seen her the Consul was covered with writhing snakes. "I would like to know the outcome of the battle."

"You brought me here for that?" Cassie asked. "This is a matter for my rooms, you know that."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. Will you _See_ for us?"

Cassie narrowed her eyes at her. She'd never liked the consul it as a well known fact. Since she'd become Pythia all the woman had wanted to do was control her and she was fed up with it. She knew she had to respect the vampyre leader but the sooner she put her into place the better.

"No." she said and _shifted_.

In her rooms Cassie waited for the meeting to be over. Pritkin arrived a few minutes later.

"Perhaps not the best move ever." He said drily.

"I'll make sure to _shift_ with you next time." She replied just as drily knowing full well that that was not what he meant. "The rest of it is all battle tactics; I would have liked to be there for that."

"Figuring out when you're going to unleash some kick ass?"

"Like he needs a reason." Billy-Joe said and floated down to sit opposite Cassie. He was smoking a ghostly pipe and emptied it onto the floor and refilled it. "But the battle should be a good way for him to vent out some frustration."

Cassie rolled her eyes at him but he was suddenly blocked from view by Pritkin who sat on the chair Billy was in. Feeling the wave of ice that one always felt when passing through a ghost he jumped up and instinctively pulled a gun out and pointed it at the chair. Cassie was laughing at the obviously flustered Pritkin.

"I don't think bullets will do much to a ghost." She laughed.

Billy-Joe flew around the room cheering. He almost looked solid again. "I should take a draw from the mage more often." He yelled. "This feels good."

"Cassie I swear if you can't control that ghost I will shoot it."

"What are you going to do to me?" Billy asked knowing full well he couldn't hear, "Kill me? Idiot mage." He stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry.

Seeing where Cassie was looking and figuring that was where the ghost was Pritkin sat on the chair again but somewhat more tentatively than before. As he sat there Cassie talked to the ghost but he was busy noticing something. Or rather the lack of something. Ava. Even in just the few short weeks she'd been living with them she'd made a huge impression on him and he'd become accustomed to having her around. Even though she had a lot to learn she was a natural at guarding and being intimidating when she had to be but that wasn't what he missed. It was her him missed. He missed just having her there. Which was stupid. She was a Morgana. And he'd vowed to kill every Morgana he ever saw.


	20. Chapter 20

**I think this is like the quickest update ever in the history of this story so brownie points to me! I even remembered to put line breakers in! Anywho, please read and review. Hope you enjoy it ~Fury**

**The series belongs to Karen Chance and Karen Chance alone. **

* * *

"Ha, he's looking all love sick Cassie –"

"Billy, shut up and go and spy on the senate meeting." Cassie snapped.

"And then follow the Consul around." Pritkin said looking to the space where he guessed the ghost was hovering. As a rule he hated the ghost, mostly because when Cassie told him what he was saying he was being idiotic and unhelpful and because he couldn't actually see him, and in Faerie, by God, he'd been annoying.

"I do not take orders from you mage. Only people who can actually see me." Billy-Joe retorted.

"Do it Billy. Only come back when you learn something useful." When he'd floated out of the room Cassie turned to Pritkin. "You'll be having civil conversations next."

For the most part, Billy decided, the senate meeting was boring but when everyone had been excused the Consul waited behind. A few minutes later most of them crept back. Suddenly, Billy decided, things were getting interesting. He had half a mind to quickly hop back and tell Cassie what was going on but he knew he couldn't.

Not that Cassie would have been much use to him anyway. She'd just had a vision and was frantic with worry. She wanted to go right away but when she told Pritkin what she'd seen he froze. He actually froze. For the first time since they'd known each other Cassie was moving faster then Pritkin, trying to get him to snap out of it. In the end instead of trying to bring him back to life she grabbed hold of his hand and _shifted_.

* * *

Rasputin was in his room when I found him. He was sat watching TV but turned it off when I entered the room, Thomas a step behind me. The room was exactly the same as mine, the only difference was the view from the window which was of the rose coloured bandstand on the lawn.

"Are you still uneasy around all the other vampyres?" Rasputin asked.

"Just that one." I jerked my thumb behind me at Thomas. "He'd do anything to displease his master _including_ keeping me safe." I sat on the end of the bed opposite Rasputin, who was sat at the head of it, and crossed my legs.

Rasputin looked at where I assumed Thomas was sitting. "He won't let any harm come to you. I will watch over you as well if you like."

"Thanks… I'm sorry you got your bad reputation."

"What do you mean?" he asked almost amused.

"If I hadn't told you to run away and hide that night you would have killed her sooner and none of that would have happened." There was no need to tell him which night I was on about – the night I saved him and almost got myself killed in the process. "And we wouldn't be in the mess we're in now. Everything would be in balance and all that."

Cassie and Pritkin appeared out of no where on the bed and all but fell off it. For half a second it was comical and none of us – Thomas, Rasputin and I – didn't move and just looked at them, but then Pritkin began talking. He stood straight back up and pulled me into his arms.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice etched with relief and fear. Actual fear was in his voice. I saw Rasputin shift in his seat and look at us expectantly. Thomas came over too and took a defensive position between us and the door, not turning his back on either it or us. Cassie stood a little to the left looking about as relieved and scared as Pritkin sounded. Me? I was stuck in his arms, ignoring the amount of pleasure I was taking at being touched by him, waiting to be released and wondering what the hell was going on.

"Ava, are you alright?" Pritkin shook me and looked into my eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said wondering what the hell was going on.

"She's found you." He said bluntly. There was no need for the rest. I knew what was happening. They were here to stop her assassin from killing me. My world slowed down for a moment but then Pritkin spoke again. "In our time her assassin has just killed you. Both of you." He looked at Rasputin.

"How'd she kill Rasputin?" I demanded shooting to a standing position more bothered about his safety than mine. No one could kill him. He was the most powerful vampyre in existence!

"Stop arguing!" a new voice shouted.

We all turned round to the open door where Cassie stood, or rather, a second Cassie stood. I looked between them confused as hell and wondered if this would cause some rip in the space time continuum or something. Everyone else looked pretty puzzled to but both the Cassies, looked perfectly at ease.

Other Cassie – ripped clothes and bruised headed Cassie – spoke. "You don't have time to argue. When the assassins come, be ready. There're two mages and an Incubus. You'll eventually get pushed out of this room. When you do don't stop by at the kitchen. You don't use any of the stuff you pick up anyway. Oh and Pritkin gave me these to give to you." She put some vials in Pritkin's hand. "For the stairs. They'll be here soon."

Another head poked round the door. Mine actually. From the future. Huh. Weird. I had the urge to go up to her and prod her face just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating and wondered if I'd feel it too. "Give them five minutes and they'll be here." She said to Pritkin. She noticed me. "Huh. Weird."

I hadn't taken my eyes off her in the entire time she'd been in the room which seemed like ages even though it had only been a few seconds and until she brushed her hair out of her face I'd been speechless. The blood dripping down her face had me moving towards her though.

"This is where it gets funny." Other Cassie said and sat on the chest of draws grinning inanely.

"Oh Ava, don't." other Ava begged. "You're going to make a fool of yourself."

"What the hell did you do to my head?" I demanded. Which was weird since it was kind of my head that I was now touching and trying to clear up with my sleeve. A sleeve which I noticed on her no longer existed. I really liked that cardigan as well.

"It's my head!" she said batting my hands away. "But yeah you have a point. Watch out for the vase when Selah launches you into the air."

"Ava, we have to go." Other Cassie said.

"Ava," the other me said and held my hands in hers. She looked pleadingly into my eyes. "Don't do anything stupid apart from saving Pritkin's sorry ass. When you save him you'll be fine." She leaned forward and whispered something in my ear that shocked me to my core. Then she resolutely walked back to Other Cassie and they _shifted_ out of there without a second glance.

No one moved in the room for a second but a crash down the hallway brought us back to our senses. Thomas and Pritkin flanked the door, Rasputin stood in front of me and I stood in front of Cassie who I'd backed into a corner where she was easier to defend. A few minutes later the door re-opened.

Two black mages stood there throwing spells at us like there was no tomorrow. The two vampyres couldn't do much against them so I pushed passed and joined in the fight throwing up shields of a strength I'd never managed before. They threw magic back but we were stronger than they ever would be and for the first time ever I was glad of my incubus strength. I could feel Thomas and Rasputin's desire to join the fight swirling around us but they knew this wasn't their fight. I was thrown to the ground at the same time as the window exploded.

I sprung up and turned to the window. A pearly white whisper of a being, a jelly like substance drifted in. I didn't have time to recognise the incubus because Pritkin threw me back in front of the mages whilst he took on the greater enemy. I called magic knives to help and as soon as they had both been touched by them the mages retreated. I turned to help Pritkin.

Both the vampyres were stood defensively in front of Cassie watching the incubus warily. I looked back the incubus and groaned absolutely hating the world.

"Hello Sellah." I said.

He turned his not even there eyes on me and something in his 'face' suggested a grin. He stopped attacking Pritkin for a moment who took a second to stand to his feet and pull a potion out of his belt.

"Well if it isn't my daughter." He laughed. "You could have killed me that night you know. I was injured. Perhaps you just couldn't kill your father."

"Oh yeah? Watch me." I threw a curse at him at the same time as he changed his shape into a man meaning my magic missed him.

A vial of something hit him and he backed away losing the crispness of his form for a moment. He sent some pretty hefty magic Pritkin's way at the same time as letting one of his arms uncurl and grow so that it touched Cassie who immediately screamed in pain. Her vampyre protectors weren't able to do anything but Pritkin was already on the move and threw an intense potion at the arm making it recoil.

"Get her out of here." He said to Thomas.

We left the room and saw a bunch of vampyres unconscious on the floor. Magic, Pritkin said it was. All of the other vampyres at Mircea's court were unconscious too which was why the mages and Selah had found it so easy to get in.

We passed them confident that they were safe enough for now and ran towards the stairs. Pritkin already had the vials his future self had given him in his hand already thinking of reasons why they would be needed. To throw at the incubus I guessed.

The mages were waiting for us at the stairs. They had rigged a net of magic to tumble on us as soon as we arrived. One of the spells being a nul. Shit. Pritkin though, ever prepared, gave me a sword and a gun. He had his vials to fall back on as well. Selah was behind us laughing in wicked delight.

"Now you have only earthly weapons to fall back on. Now I will crush you slowly. What a delight it will be to tell Rosier that I killed the Pythia. He may not be so pleased that I killed his son as he would like to pleasure himself with that delight, but he will be pleased nonetheless. You, daughter, will be my greatest kill yet. "

"Are they all this annoying?" I asked Pritkin as he attacked the incubus and I was about to go and sword fight the mages.

"Most. Some are worse."

With that reassurance I ran down the stairs to meet the mages. They hadn't come with material weapons and were more than surprised to see mine. I didn't use the gun knowing they could deflect the bullets back at me and I couldn't do a thing about it. I was also now wondering of this constituted as doing something stupid. Before I gave much thought to that though Thomas appeared beside me and we advanced to take on the mages.

The guy I fought mostly dodged out of the way somehow managing to land a few kicks and punches when my sword wasn't in the way. Even though he barely got and hits in they hurt like a bitch and would leave massive bruises. I felt bloodlust take over and I fought harder than before and everything moved with sharp fluidity. The mage turned back to using magic when he saw my skill and I was sent flying down the next flight of stairs to the floor twenty feet below. I guess I had some major incubus reflexes going on and I managed to land on my feet not injuring myself. The dude looked about as astonished as I felt.

At that moment my magic returned. I didn't use it just yet but I ran up the stairs to meet him as he ran down. I struck out with my sword but was knocked aside when I was distracted by the sound of Thomas crying out in pain. His heart had a sword sticking through it. Another bolt of magic made me stumble even further. It brought me round from my surprise. I let all hell break lose with my magic and he was more or less instantly dead. I sprinted towards Thomas but I was already too late. _Thomas dies on the stairs _my future self had said. I didn't have to see him to know that he'd already had his heart ripped out and his head cut off. All that mattered was that I avenged his death.

The mage was stood triumphantly over his victim. Not expecting me he didn't expect to feel my magic or expect an attack of any kind. I used magic against him, the same spell I'd used against a friend at school only with even more powerful than then and even that magic had sent that friend to hospital. This time I was out to kill and kill I did. He fell to the floor before he really realised what was happening.

Rasputin and Cassie ran down the stairs to meet me.

"Pritkin wants us to run." Rasputin said. "We can do nothing to help him and he doesn't want you anywhere near the incubus."

"I'm not leaving him behind." I started up the next flight of stairs but he pulled me back down with his… paws. I turned back to him and he'd transformed into a lion.

"Either sit on his back or he'll carry you in his jaws." Cassie said climbing onto his back.

Somehow I didn't doubt that and reluctantly obeyed saying, "Come on then Aslan. I hope your divine wisdom is right this time. Can I ask for miracles?"

He ran as fast as a vampyre could and before I really knew what was going on we were outside by the bandstand. We'd passed even more unconscious vampyres on the way out but a couple were starting to stir.

"I'm going back in there." I said. "You two stay here." I ran back without even letting them get a word in edgeways.

Pritkin was just coming down the stairs when I saw him. He looked incredulous but didn't berate me or anything though that was mostly because there was an incubus on our tails.

"Plan?" I asked.

"Kill it." he grunted and threw magic behind us.

"I meant 'how?'."

Somehow Selah appeared in front of us in his dark haired human form. He threw magic at me. I had just enough time to realise that I was going to fly into a vase and threw my hands in front of my face just before I hit it. A shard of the broken porcelain pierced my hand going all the way through from palm to front. My cry of pain momentarily distracted Pritkin. I pulled it out without much thought knowing that I could heal this kind of thing quicker than a vampyre and turned my attention to Pritkin and Selah.

Pritkin wasn't doing so well. He'd not been quick enough to recover and was getting hammered. I threw in some of my own magic and he managed to pick himself up and throw a couple of potions. With both of us attacking him with magic and potions he lost his human form and even his natural shape became smudged and seemed to be dying. He couldn't attack anymore. I stopped attacking. I'd already killed two people today I didn't really want to kill another. I walked away and sat the other side of a statue the horror of what was happening hidden the other side of it.

Pritkin joined me a few minutes later. He didn't say or do anything he just sat there next to me. He took my hand in his and cursed when he realised it was my injured one. I couldn't feel it anymore through the shock of what had just happened. The Consul knew where I was. She already knew I was the sole reason Rasputin was still alive and hated me for it. She knew where I was and she wanted me dead.

"You need to get back." I managed to say. "To your time."

"I told Rasputin to not let you come back for me. Look what happened to your hand." He said softly. "You need to feel the injury, feel what's been severed and make it all grow back into place. It'll become second nature eventually."

"She almost succeeded today." I said blankly looking at the opposite wall.

"I wouldn't let her. I'd never let her." he said fiercely making me look round. "She won't get near you, Ava. I promise."

"Alright. You really should get back."

"Yes."

"Come back to me. As soon as you can."

He pulled me into his arms. "I will."


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey everyone! I'm updating again and only about 4 days after last time. Hope you like it! ~Fury**

* * *

I stayed in my room until everyone got back a few hours later. Rasputin stayed with me. I figured out how to fix my hand and realised that I'd somehow managed to keep the cardigan arm that the future me had lost. I went for a shower and pulled Pritkin's big jumper over the t-shirt I wore. When they did come back everyone else was awake and had been told what happened.

Mircea, Cassie, Louis-Cesare and Pritkin were half way up the stairs when Rasputin and I joined them. Cassie saw Thomas' mutilated body and sank by his side instantly crying. Mircea knelt by her and held her but talked to Rasputin.

"You did your best?" he asked.

"I was keeping Cassie safe whilst John fought the incubus. There was nothing I could do. I'm sorry."

"Ava survived her attack, that's all that matters." Pritkin said bluntly and stalked off somewhere else.

"He's pretty pissed he wasn't here to start off with." Cassie said. "Go and talk to him." she gently pushed me after him. I hesitated a moment but when she turned back to Thomas I followed Pritkin.

He didn't lose stride even though he had to know I was following him. He headed towards the kitchen and I was reminded of what Cassie said earlier – _don't stop of at the kitchen, you don't use what you get from there anyway_ – or whatever it was. Maybe he was going there to see what we would have picked up if we did stop there.

When he was inside he turned the kettle on and got some cold pasta-bake out the fridge and began eating it cold.

"Is Cassie telling the truth?" I asked.

"It made my job more difficult. That's all." He said without looking up which hurt a lot more than it should have.

"What about what you said afterwards?" I was dreading his answer but I needed to hear it at the same time.

"I only did that because I wished someone had been there for me when I'd first killed."

"So it meant –"

He lifted his eyes to meet mine. "Nothing." He said unflinchingly. The green in his eyes went darker and a haunted look crossed them. "It meant absolutely nothing."

Something stabbed my heart and twisted it. Tears pricked my eyes and a couple rolled free before I could stop them. Pritkin looked away and found extra interest in his food. I just stood there for a moment staring at him. We hadn't seen much of each other over the past few days thanks to his lies but before that we'd – or rather I'd – been falling head over heels in love. Every time he talked to me I got all excited, whenever he came near me I forgot to breathe and when he touched me I all but fainted which was kind of a pain in the ass in training but it felt too good to ignore and I couldn't make it go away.

Now though it was apparent that even after we'd almost died together he couldn't forgive me for being related to the person who'd almost killed his friend a few hundred years ago. It didn't stop me loving him but I gave up on him and left with disappointment welling in my heart.

* * *

When she left Pritkin sighed and sat at the table. He carried on eating for a moment but then stopped feeling like a traitor for what he'd just done. He couldn't forget the promise he'd made though. _I'll kill every Morgana until the end of time. _It was bad enough that he'd let her live this long. Even more so that he'd saved her life. Yet he couldn't bring himself to kill her. She was just a fragile young woman and if Cassie had to go back in time to save her and keep her from being killed by the Consul then she had to be important for something.

He was just trying to delay what he had to do. He was making excuses to keep her alive. Why? Because when he felt like a traitor he was being a traitor to his own heart and denying his feelings. When he said that his words and actions had meant nothing he felt the lie burning in his chest and catching in his throat even as he said it. More over he was disgusted with himself. It wasn't so much that he'd lied but more of what he'd lied about and who he'd lied to.

He quickly banished those thoughts from his mind and quickly finished eating before going to see Cassie.

"We need to go back." she said before he left the kitchen. She'd shifted in there scaring the hell out of him.

"Why? Has someone decided they need an audience with you?"

"No I left my necklace at MAGIC and Billy-Joe can't just come over here – he can only travel about thirty miles without it. We need his information."

Pritkin held out his hand to her and she shifted them back to her rooms at MAGIC. The necklace was right where she left but the ghost that inhabited it was sat on the sofa fuming.

"Go and spy the Consul!" Billy-Joe fumed. "Whose brilliant idea was that? They have a necromancer under their control and I had to tell them everything about Ava that's how they got to the mansion. Go and spy on the Consul indeed! I told you the mage was an idiot! That's the last time I follow any of his orders."

"Get in the necklace Billy." Cassie said.

Knowing that tone Billy did as he was told and let her shift. He let a few minutes pass before emerging from the jewellery and when he did he began ranting right in Pritkin's ear at the top of his voice taking delight in the fact that he couldn't hear him. They went straight to Mircea's lounge which was, unfortunately, where Ava was talking to Rasputin and Ralph. Ralph was the first person to notice their arrival thanks to Billy's hollering.

"What the hell is that man shouting about?" he asked over the racket.

"He told the Consul Ava's here." Cassie said.

All movement in the room stopped and everyone stared at Billy by following Ralph's gaze. Ava was the first to move.

"What the hell did you do that for?" she demanded rising from her chair and walking towards the space by Pritkin's left ear. "I was almost killed you know!"

"It wasn't quite like that." Cassie said. "There's a necromancer there."

"I did however learn some pretty nifty stuff if anyone's listening." Billy-Joe interjected trying to get back on everyone's good side. Before he probably wouldn't have bothered and would have happily sat on the information but with the necromancer there he couldn't risk it. He could order him to do something that could result in the loss of his life… or whatever he was living now. He wasn't dead exactly but he wasn't rotting in his grave either and he preferred to keep it that way.

"Oh and he decided he'd co-operate did he? Cassie if you can't control that ghost then maybe you should let me _break_ that necklace." Ava threatened, thunder in her voice. Dark anger clouded her eyes and governed her actions which scared most people in the room. They all knew she was half incubus and knew her power. She was dangerous and they didn't want to make her volatile temper explode. Not that any of the vampyres let even a hint of it show in their faces.

Pritkin watched amused for a moment. He had his Ava back. The last few times he'd seen her she'd been a shell of her self, scared and in shock. Now though she was being the hot tempered fighter he knew she could be. Most of the anger was fuelled by fear – who wouldn't be scared when the Consul was constantly trying to kill you? – but least this time her fear was being turned into something useful and stronger. Then he realised what she was doing.

He stood from leaning against the wall and unfolded his arms and walked towards her. "Ava, calm down." He commanded.

"Calm down? I have the Consul out to kill me and the best you can say is _calm down_?" he could see that she was finally letting panic set in which meant she was closer to accepting the news that the Consul knew where she was. He hated seeing her like that but he knew it was good for her.

As he walked towards her she looked at him with a strange mix of anger and hope. She needed him to love her but she didn't want him at the same time. She wanted to shout at him and throw spells at him until he begged for forgiveness but most of all she wanted him to hold her and tell her everything was going to be alright.

"Tell me _John_, how am I supposed to calm down?" she turned away from him and looked anywhere part from where there were people, all of who decided they should be somewhere else and left the room at the same time, even Billy Joe. She didn't stop looking at the door for the next silent minute.

Pritkin walked up behind her and wondered why he was still in the room and wanting to help her. He put his hands on her arms and softly spoke to her. "Breathe." He said his lips right by her ear. Shivers fell down her spine and her knees went week. Pritkin felt this change in her and had to school himself from being pleased by it. "Breathe and relax. No one is going to let anything happen to you."

"But she's the Consul. She's powerful and –"

"But we have her brother!" Pritkin bellowed. "Stop worrying you're safe don't you trust us?"

"After you're 'I have to kill every Morgana' speech I'm not so sure." she snapped. "Seriously, Pritkin, if you're going to kill me do it now. No one will have to worry about me and I won't have to live in fear that I might get killed in the next five seconds. Do you know how that feels? It'll be a –"

"I know how that feels." He said quietly. "I've been living with it since a few weeks before you came here. Cassie had a vision and saw me dying. I know how you feel. If you let your fear consume you she'll have killed you anyway."

"Oh, so I just have to worry about some revenge seeking incubus killing me now." she said almost laughing with hysteria.

"You have nothing to worry about, Ava." He insisted but didn't meet her eye.

"Well tell me, _John_, have you resolved yourself on whether you're going to kill me or not?"

"Bloody hell, Ballet Shoes what am I supposed to say?" as soon as he said it he knew he'd slipped. Ballet Shoes. He remembered that training day with ease. He'd called her Ballet Shoes which he knew would annoy her and help her hit harder and faster. It resulted in her breaking his wrist clean in half. He'd been careful to get to close to her whilst teasing her for a few hours after that. Ballet Shoes had been a name frequently on his lips until a few days ago. That and occasionally Twinkle Toes.

"That you forgive me for being a Morgana!"

"I never said I blamed you." He said and walked out.

* * *

_How the hell did we get onto that subject? _I thought when the door closed. It was official: my life was a mess and I was a mess of emotions. Now that I knew how I felt I was able to slowly get a grip on myself and control all the swirling emotions inside me. I took a few breaths and then followed Pritkin out the door well aware that he might suddenly buck up the courage to kill me. That is if I didn't kill him myself to vent out my anger.

I followed him into a room where Mircea, Cassie, Rafe, Louis-César, Jack, Rasputin and Ralph were sat probably with Billy Joe. I pointedly ignored the mage and sat on the floor by Rasputin's feet. Mircea spared me a glance and a smile. Rasputin let a reassuring hand linger in my hair. I felt about four but for now it was a good feeling and I didn't bat the hand away. Instead I rested my head against his knee and listened to the conversation as if it were a bedside story, as I was sure this mess would one day be.

"Billy Joe was just telling us how a necromancer ordered him to tell the truth." Louis-Cesare said. "I think he might be saying desolé."

"He couldn't help it." I replied smiling to the spot Ralph was listening intently to. "Just don't do it again."

"Yes, yes all very well." Jack said. "But what of the Consul's plan? Did the ghost find out about that?"

There was a pause but then Cassie began talking, probably telling us what he said a few words after he said it much like a translator would. "He did, some of it any way. All of the senate apart from the people here are part of her plan. The battle is sabotaged against the silver circle. Jonas doesn't know about it but many of his mages have been blackmailed with money… and that's all he found out because that's when the necromancer came in." she finished quietly not at the lack of information but at what it was.

I hadn't been told the specific plans for the battle and didn't fully know how this affected anything but I knew it was bad and suddenly the bed-time story turned into a horror movie.

* * *

**So there it is, let me know what you thought! **

**Alas it is Karen Chance who owns the Cassandra Palmer series adn not me. **


	22. Chapter 22

**Been a bit longer than I intended but here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think! **

* * *

"Who are you calling?" Cassie asked. The sun was coming up and they would go to bed in a few minutes, she was looking forward to it. It seemed to be the only way lately to get some time alone with him and she wanted it badly. Not for sex but just to be close to him without having anyone else around. It seemed like days since they'd even really sat next to each other.

"One of the few crazy enough to join us when the odds are so greatly stacked against us." Mircea said grimly but with a hint of excitement. "Radu will be joining us tomorrow as well – oh hello… where is she?... Thank you."

Cassie sat back on the bed under the covers and closed her eyes. It had been a long evening and she'd been working all the way through it finding glimpses of the future. When Billy had brought the stark reality of what they were up against to light they'd strategised and planned asking Cassie to _see_ the outcome as best she could. The only reason they'd stopped was because she was too worn out to work anymore.

"Come on Dorina, this is your kind of thing!" Mircea exclaimed. Cassie still ignored him. "No I meant fighting the system. Radu will also be there."

"Oh, great, a family reunion. Just what I need. Besides I saw Uncle a few days ago so it's not really bait." She said triumphantly. Then immediately smacked herself in the head even though she was currently bleeding from it.

"Ah so what you requite is bait. I'm sure I can arrange –"

"No, Mircea, no way in hell. If there's a battle going on I want to be the hell as far away from it as I possibly can be." she began pacing down the empty street and batted one of Stinky's hands away from her wound.

"You still have that Fey fur-ball? He could be useful now that he's a little older."

"Not helping yourself."

"Very well. I can see that I am not going to win. I'll just have to hope that the mages and vampyres you would have killed weren't battling one of us. It would be a shame if any of us died me, Jack, Radu, Louie-Cesare…" he ended the call knowing that he had bait enough to reel in the fish.

Dory stopped in the middle of the street the moment the name had left her father's lips. She hadn't seen Louie-Cesare since he was pulled back into MACIG when the day of battle had been named. She'd missed him like crazy and more often than not thinking of him was what kept her awake at night than dhampir rage. But she knew what her father was doing. He was trying to take advantage of her weakness. Damn vampyres. Damn _that_ vampyre in particular. She put her phone in Stinky's very safe hands in the hope that he would quickly destroy its dialling capabilities and carried on walking. Seven steps later she'd wrestled the phone back off him and was calling Mircea.

"You took your time." He said voice honey soft.

"Do you want me to come or not?"

"What time shall I tell Louis-Cesare we're expecting you?"

"I'll be there in a couple of hours. I'm pretty close actually."

With that Mircea turned his phone off and climbed into bed. Cassie immediately snuggled closer and she was like a balm to him. He felt his prickly nerve endings simmer and cool and everything around him slowed. There was nothing in the world except him and the woman he loved. He buried his face in her hair and breathed in her scent – air, roses and cashmere – and lost himself in it.

"Your, uh, daughter's coming then?" Cassie sleepily asked. Normally she felt that talking would have ruined the moment but the moment was so strong nothing but perhaps a nuclear explosion could have broken it.

"Yes. It's a long time since I've seen her. You will get along well. She has a temper more volatile than John's."

"And that makes you think we'll get along well?" she asked laughing softly, Mircea laughed too.

"She likes sarcasm as much as you."

They lay in silence for a moment until Cassie asked, "Do you miss her?"

"Yes. I regret not knowing her well. Maybe things will change."

Cassie pulled him closer and stroked his hair in he way he liked it. He became stiller in her arms and the pretend breathing stopped and all scraps of colour fell from his face revealing what he really looked like. Sometimes Cassie preferred seeing him like that and seeing all of his power. It was hard to believe that the fingers that belonged to the living dead and a lifetime of death could also behold a touch as soft and delicate as a humans. She watched him for a little while before gently falling asleep herself.

Three hours later they were awoken by their door being unceremoniously thrown aside and two very angry confused people shouting at them to wake up whilst they wrestled with each other. Cassie was bleary eyed but Mircea was wide awake and smiling.

"You've met the mage." He said.

"What the hell have you got a half breed here for?" Dory demanded.

"You're one to talk, _dhampir_. She claims to be your daughter." Pritkin sneered.

"He protects the Pythia." Mircea said to Dorina ignoring the fuming mage. "Don't worry."

"And where is the Pythia? By the front door where he was?"

"She's here." he gestured to Cassie who had suddenly woken up a lot more.

"What's she –" Dory stopped mid sentence and let her choke hold on Pritkin loosen a little. "Oh, wow, Dad, that's good. Even for you. The Pythia, sweet."

"Do not talk about her like that." He snapped, anger crackling out of him and radiating towards her. Dory flinched back slightly knowing that Mircea was a vampyre she couldn't take on. At least not as tired as she was. At that moment Pritkin stood up from underneath her and stood by her side.

"Alright, chill out, old man." Dory held her hands out palms up in the universal surrender sign. She turned back to Pritkin. "Are you going to quit trying to kill me now, I did almost get killed on the way?" the mage backed off. "I swear I haven't almost been killed as many times in one night since last time I saw you, Mircea. It was about the only reason I managed to find you."

Mircea smiled slightly, pleased to see his daughter unhurt. A blue ball of fluff leapt onto the bed and investigated Cassie who didn't look sure of what it was apart that it was part fey and so, wisely, let it do its own thing until it sat in her lap and insisted that it stroke her.

Dory had made herself comfortable on the dresser and Pritkin had left closing the door behind him. "You must be desperate if you're asking me for help. What's going on?"

"Before I tell you perhaps you could send your pet to protect someone who needs it much more than you? She's a mage. The only other one in the house."

"You heard him, Stinky, off you go."

The fey jumped off the bed and scuttled out of the room closing the door behind him. Then Mircea explained what was going on.

"I'll call Ogla and tell her to round up the troops." Dory said already standing to move into action. "I'm sure her people would love to take out half the senate members. I'll ask for weapons too."

* * *

Pritkin had been thinking for a long time. Building up his courage. He'd come over here ready to do it, ready to kill her. He'd knelt by her bed knife in hand completely resolved. He'd not long relieved Rasputin from his careful vigil by her side without much persuasion needed. He had rejoiced at the ease of his removal, now he cursed it.

He was still knelt looking over her but his grip on the knife had loosened as had his grip on his resolve. He'd even been to the bar before coming here. He should have been prepared. Alcohol didn't affect him like it did humans so going there was of no significance other than it was familiar and proved to be a good place to think. Now though he felt more like a traitor than he ever felt before. He was pretty disgusted with himself too.

How could he think he could do this now when he couldn't even do it when he was most angry with her? He was just denying his feeling for her, something he vowed he wouldn't do after the Consul had almost killed her that time. He'd already killed one woman he loved, how could he do it to another one?

"You have learned a valuable lesson, Mage Pritkin." Rafe said.

Pritkin cursed himself for not noticing him in the room. There were so many signs that he was there – scent, the shadow on the floor, the sound of his breathing and beating heart – but he'd been too wound up, so focused he'd missed them all.

At that exact moment Ava abruptly sat up too quick for him to move the knife and she impaled herself on it. It didn't go through her heart but it was close. He helped her lie down and began applying pressure saying over and over that he was sorry.

"You tried to kill me!" she managed to find the energy to sound incredulous and tried to bat him away. "Go away. Go away, John." She rasped and then once again cried out in pain.

Rafe moved him away in the end and applied pressure. He then communicated with Mircea and then Louis-Cesare telling them to get here as soon as possible. Louis-Cesare was there first immediately taking in what was going on and chose to ignore the mage for now knowing exactly what had happened. Mircea did the same.

"Can you heal it yourself?" Mircea asked, a cold hand on her forehead to sooth her.

"No." she gasped barely above a whisper. Sweat was dripping down her forehead and blood was seeping everywhere panicking her even though she knew she shouldn't.

The vampyres reacted without thinking, Rafe still applied pressure, Mircea pulled the blade out and Louis-Cesare healed it as best as he could. As soon as her breathing had slowed and returned to normal Ava flew into a standing position on the bed only slightly less gracefully than normal. Cassie had arrived. A person she didn't know was holding a blue ball of fluff back from Pritkin.

Pritkin was still knelt by her bed, the only person who hadn't moved when she stood up. He hadn't let himself feel it before but he'd been scared to death and really all he had wanted to do was freeze and look at what he'd done to her cursing himself the whole time. Now though he was just relieved that she was better.

"Let it attack." She said bitterly causing Pritkin to flinch. "I don't care. By the time I'm back I expect him to be out of my room." as she passed she made sure to grind her heel on Pritkin's fingers.

* * *

I sat in the kitchen fairly shocked. Pritkin had tried to kill me. He'd actually tried to kill me. This whole time I'd assumed he wouldn't be able to follow it through but he'd done it. Failed but he'd tried. And I would have slept through it too if it hadn't been for Rafe talking. I didn't know what he said but the sound alone was enough to wake me up.

I couldn't believe he'd actually almost done it.

Someone, Cassie, walked in and sat opposite me. Rasputin sat next to me. I got up and opened the fridge and took excellent delight in taking the biggest chocolate bar I'd seen in my life out of it. Knowing Pritkin would have a fit if he saw me I tucked in.

"He wasn't going to do it." Cassie said.

"I still got almost killed. Besides he tried to do it. That's what hurts here." The chocolate was filled with gooey bits too. Even better. "It's not like I can help being a Morgana."

"But he didn't do it. Rafe said he was about to put the knife down."

"But he still tried!" I exploded. "He tried to kill me. The man I love tired to kill me. He won't even look at me anymore without seeing _her_ and being disgusted." I threw the chocolate bar down on the work top hard enough to dent it and smash the chocolate into a _flake_ bar reject. "How the hell is what he tried to do excusable just because he backed out at the last minute? He still planned on killing me! Lily liver or no! He should be punished." I got up and stormed out of the kitchen.

"Ava." A familiar voice breathed over my skin like a sensual finger bringing pleasure.

I turned round and faced him. He looked haggard, guilty and broken. His normally proud shoulders slumped and regret shone in his green, green eyes. I turned away from him and made walking back to the stairs look dignified even though tears were streaming down my face and I was doing my best not to make any noise as I cried.

In my room Rasputin held me against his chest not caring that I was going to ruin his far too expensive shirt.

* * *

I was in my room sat on my bed staring at the knife that had come from Ava's chest. Rafe had given it to me in disgust when they all exited her room as a stark reminder of what I'd just done. I sat there twirling it in the light watching sun beams glint of it. Ava's eyes flashed through my mind, widening with shock. Her cry of pain resonated through my ears again and I could feel the warmth of her blood on my hands.

Even though I stopped I had almost killed her anyway.

My heart sank as I let myself swim in the emotions that were drowning me. Anger, disbelief, disgust, disappointment.

What she'd said was all perfectly true. I deserved punishment. More than punishment. Death. Mircea would never do that though. He needed me to protect Cassie and wouldn't kill me purely because of that. But punish me he could and I sought him out.

Instead Jack pulled me to follow him.

"Mircea does not wish to be disturbed." He said. "And he won't punish you. Rafe says you were about to move the knife away and punish you he will not." suddenly he turned round and threw his fist at my jaw so fast that I couldn't move out of the way or even move to soften the blow. It cracked and moved out of place. "That was for Ava."

"Thank you." I managed through a dislocated and broken jaw. Jack took it in his hand and shoved it all back together perhaps breaking the socket a bit more as he did so. I bit down on the pain.

"And," he said darkly, "if you ever hurt her again I'll kill you. Now I'll be off back to bed if you don't mind." He made a gesture that would have been tipping his cap in another life time and smiled before leaving.

I stood in the hall way for a while just staring at the wall before eventually returning to my room and eventually falling asleep.

* * *

Food sounded like the best thing in the world. Proper food. Rasputin woke when I stirred and followed me as did the blue ball of fluff. I didn't really know what it was but it wasn't doing me any harm so I let it follow.

A human who didn't quite smell like human was sat in the kitchen eating a bacon butty when we arrived.

"What are you?" I asked figuring she'd heard the question too many times to be offended by it anymore.

She turned to me amused. "A dhampir." Ooh cool. I'd heard about them in school. "Dory."

"You smell a bit like Mircea." I said sniffing the air a bit more.

"I'm his daughter."

Ooh, sweet. "How'd you like your step-mom?"

"Hey I don't even call him dad that often, slow down I only just met the women. What half you get lumped with?"

"Incubus." I grimaced. I still wasn't quite resolved or comfortable with it yet but I had to admit it explained a lot of things and I was a bit less scared of my magic now that I knew why it was so strong. I pulled some left over um, spaghetti perhaps, out of the fridge and warmed it through in the micro-wave.

"Pritkin wouldn't approve of that." Rasputin observed.

"Exactly." I said. "You bringing anyone else? We could use all the help we can get?"

"I know a few people." Dory answered mysteriously. "Is Stinky bothering you?" She looked at the ball of fluff which was sat on the table between us. "I'll tell him off if you like."

"No, he's fine. Protection right?"

"Yeah, he's really good. Saved my ass a couple of times."

"Dorina, not now." Mircea said half in the room half out, also on the phone. "Radu's here."

All of us rose from the table at the same time, Dory more because she was expected to than because she wanted to I think, I rose (plate of food in hand) because I was curious and Rasputin did because he was obsessed with protecting me. The fluff ball – Stinky – followed too but then decided walking was too much effort and climbed up Dory's back and sat on her shoulders wrapping his arms loosely round her neck.

Mircea walked with a tell tale stiffness in his shoulders. I guess he wasn't so fond of family meetings, I couldn't say I blamed him with his family. Dracula – dead think God – had been insane and Radu wasn't much better. We rounded the corner that opened out to the foyer and there he was. The other Basarab.

He was a tallish guy with a shifty stance and eyes that darted around everywhere. He was wearing a black suit and a shirt but hadn't bothered with a tie and wore the collar open. Long black hair was clipped back at the nape of his neck much like Mircea's. He turned towards us and we were met with cappuccino eyes. Excitement filled them for half a second and then he saw Rasputin and he acted through instinct.

I knew it was coming almost before it happened and launched myself in front of Rasputin. Half way in the air I was slammed into by a fast moving vampyre who then held me by the neck so high I looked into his eyes. Stinky attacked but he barely noticed. Vaguely I was aware of Rasputin moving into a defensive stature by my side and he snarled at Radu. I put a hand on Rasputin's shoulder to stop him, not that I really minded the help but I guess him attacking wouldn't really help much.

"Why do you protect him?" Radu demanded.

"He's….good." I choked but it sounded almost like a question.

"Radu, release her." Mircea said soothingly. "She speaks the truth."

Radu held me a couple of seconds longer and then lowered me to the floor before letting go. I gasped for air for a moment but quickly recovered. Dory told Stinky to stop attacking Radu and he did preferring to sit on her shoulders. Rasputin relaxed his stance but stayed wary. I rolled my eyes at the guy drama and beat Mircea to explaining.

"The Consul is a bitch and took his place as Consul and then spread rumours about him, Tony took him to Fey Land-" I can't say the real name, "Long and short he's with us. Chilax man." I shrugged. Mircea laughed at my rough explanation and Rasputin chuckled.

Radu looked confused but shrugged. "I hope you know what you're doing taking on the whole Senate and the Black Circle, and half the Silver Circle."

"Gambling, 'Du that's what he's doing." Dory said. "Remember what happened last time we gambled?"

"You blew up my wine cellar." He raised an eyebrow.

"We killed Drac'." She said. "You know, he'd actually be kind of useful right now." she mused getting dirty look from the brothers.

Someone else came through the door just then in a flying car. It careered into the first statue it came across and then did a back flip into the stairs, did a loop-the-loop almost reaching the ceiling and landed on the top walk way and then drove into the nearest wall scrunching up the bonnet and smashing the wind screen. A medium height man with receding white Einstein hair wobbled out and slammed the door shut throwing it a few insults in an English accent. When the door didn't close he kicked it and it fell off.

Down here we all looked at one another before slowly, for a bunch of vampyres (or people with vampyre speed if you counted Dory), walking up the stairs so I could keep up. We met the man half way up the stairs.

"Ah, Ava, you survived." He said cheerfully. "I urged them not to do it and hand you over to Pritkin instead."

"You, uh, remember me?"

"After they told me about your ley line racing stunts how could I forget you? Now," he turned to Mircea, "what the hell is going on with my mages?"

"Most of them are in cahoots with the Consul who is an evil bitch." Dory said quoting me somewhere along the way before Mircea could say anything. He didn't look best pleased.

He turned back to Jonas. "The Consul is in league with the Black Mages." He said simply.

* * *

**In the next chapter there's a little funny scene between Louis-Cesare, Mircea, Radu and Rasputin to look forwards to and Pritkin meets his younger self back in France. **

**The Cassie Palmer Series belongs to Karen Chance, as does Dorina who is from Midnight's Daughter. I just like screwing their lives up a little. **


	23. Chapter 23

**It's been like forever but here's the next chapter with the little funny scene with Mircea. Radu, Dory and Rasputin I promised. Hope you enjoy! **

* * *

"I'm not surprised." Jonas shrugged.

"And half the Silver ones." I added taking delight in that Mircea wasn't too happy that I'd answered before him.

"Disturbing but not surprising." Jonas said but looked grim. "I hope you have a plan because I don't."

"Jonas what are you doing here?" Pritkin asked having finally made it over after having been outside doing rounds even though it wasn't his shift. "The Circle needs you over in England." He saw me and guiltily glanced over.

I looked away feeling pain rush over me.

"He's right." Mircea said finally getting a word in. "You should go back. On the day of the battle we'll find you and tell you what's going to happen."

"Is Cassie going to be there?"

"No." We all said together and she glared at us.

"Well that's something. Perhaps Ava can help fix my car?"

Normally I would have relished the chance to help fix a car but I was more interested in the dhampir stood next to me. I'd not heard much about them and if I was going to be in some bloody battle with her I wanted to know as much about her as possible. Call it knowing your allies.

"Uh, I'm kinda busy actually. And I don't actually now that much about _flying_ cars." It was true. I knew how to drive them but I'd never been taught how to fix one. Purposely. As much as I wanted to rebel against the system, even though I wasn't in it anymore, I stayed stood where I was.

Something made Dory's head whip round. Ours quickly followed to see a suddenly very scared vampyre. Dory leapt over the banister and landed on the floor without so much as a sound. All the vampyres followed her.

"Get Cassie out of here!" Mircea shouted.

I stood where I was letting Pritkin deal with it. I was more interested in the fight that was ensuing down below. Mircea and Rafe were trying to restrain Dory and Rasputin was looking at how best to join in without hurting anyone. No one was watching the person she'd attacked who zoomed off at vampyre speed. Rafe was knocked aside and Rasputin jumped into his place.

"Rafe!" I shouted. He looked up half dazed. "The vamp is gone."

In the time it took him to get his senses back I'd jumped over the rail and landed next to him without jarring anything once again thankful of my incubi reflexes. I picked him up and pointed in the right direction. He zoomed off. Mircea knocked me off my feet, blood dripping from his head. Then all movement stopped. We looked round to see Rasputin holding Dory by her middle pinning her arms to her side and one hand grasped her neck.

"I fine," he grunted as she squirmed, "That this is the best way to stop the rage. They fall unconscious through lack of air after a while."

"You have a dhampir in your midst?" Mircea asked offering me a hand. I took it surprised to feel warmth. I knew he injected colour into his face sometimes but didn't expect him to bother with warmth like Rasputin did.

"Yes. The daughter of one of my entourage. I turned his lover not long after the child was born." Dory stopped moving. Mircea took her from his hands and lay her on the floor.

Slowly her eyes fluttered open.

"Don't do anything stupid." Mircea warned. "I'd prefer not to have to do that again."

"He broke a few ribs, I'm not going anywhere." She wheezed.

"Another rage?" a French voice said behind me.

Dory immediately looked bashful and tried to sit up but ended up doing more wincing than anything. Louie-Cesare was immediately by her side pushing her back to the floor. He didn't bother with questions but immediately started heeling her.

"I've never performed as many healings as I have since meeting you." He said.

"Blame Daddy dearest." She grimaced but quickly began to look better again. A few seconds later she got up and fit as a fiddle and snogged the French vampyre. For a long time. Mircea, Rasputin and I stood there exchanging glances. I rose an eye brow at Mircea's expense and wolf whistled but only because deep down I wished that was me and Pritkin and I wanted to distract myself.

"Once you've stopped assaulting my daughter." Mircea pressed. I grinned loving how uncomfortable he looked. "We should see where Rafe is holding the prisoner."

"Yeah. That vamp tried to kill me on the way over." Dory said but didn't move out of Louie-Cesare's arms.

"Drew should have known better than that." Mircea said darkly.

Rasputin pulled me behind him not that I needed to protection. Mircea wouldn't act out like that. He'd save his rage for the prisoner.

"He's one of yours?" Dory asked incredulously.

"Not any more." Mircea said tightly before moving so fast I didn't see the movement until he was gone. The other vampyres moved with him leaving me alone.

Radu was just waking up from being unconscious. I just pointed to where the others had gone not wanting to get involved in vampyre family politics.

* * *

They found him in the garage tied to a re-enforced pole. Rafe was stood in front of him ready to spring into action should he try to break free.

"The Consul sent him." Rafe said upon hearing four people, three vampyres and a dhampir enter the room. "He's been relaying information to her about what we're doing."

Radu entered.

"Punishable by death alone that is." Mircea said silkily. "But you also attacked my daughter. That's also punishable by death."

Rafe moved out of the way but Mircea's attempts at killing the traitor were thwarted by Dory's voice.

"Shouldn't I be the one to kill him? He did try to kill me after all."

"I can claim his death." Mircea moved to strike again. "You are my daughter."

"And she is my lover. I should kill him."

"She's my niece. I have as much right as any of you." Radu said.

Mircea turned round to Louis-Cesare and Radu who stared back at him. Dory stared at all three of them. Rasputin and Rafe looked at them and rolled their eyes. Before any of them could move Rasputin lashed out and tore the vampyre's head off and pulled out his heart.

They all turned to him but it was Dory who spoke first.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"What needed to be done without _bickering_ with any of you. Clean this up." He fixed the four of them with a stare that made even Mircea look like a child and then walked out of the room signalling Rafe to follow him.

"Are they always like that when they get together?" Rasputin asked Rafe with a trace of humour in his voice.

"They don't get together much. Mircea would like it if they did but Radu doesn't like travelling out of MAGIC's safety and Dory purposely leaves the state when there's a family get together." Rafe answered. They passed by the lobby stopping at a scuffed up part of his painting. "I only just painted those butterflies."

"Oh you're that Raphael! I loved your work especially _La Belle Jardiniere._"

"Thank you. Most of my work was overshadowed by Michael Angelo. I swear he just got lucky because he over heard something I said in a tavern once. I never went to taverns after that."

Ava had walked down the stairs and now stood beside them. "Whose Michael Angelo again? Vatican right?"

"_I_ painted the Vatican." Rafe said almost haughtily.

"I know that." she said as if it was obvious. "I thought he helped out or something."

"No he did the Sistine Chapel."

"Oh yeah. Bad idea that was. Didn't he paint sacrilegious stuff on the ceiling? They should have taken a proper look at his CV." She shook her head and walked off to get some food both the vampyres presumed.

"How the hell does she know about art?" Rafe asked.

"She's a surprising child." Rasputin said with fondness in his voice. He was surprised how much he'd become attached to her in the last few days. Before she'd constantly been busy with Pritkin but after their fall out she'd spent a lot of time talking to him and he'd subconsciously moved into a protective role when around her. Deep down she was just a sweet kid but current circumstances demanded that she be a warrior all the time. He didn't doubt that it was natural to her at all but he wished she'd let her vulnerable side show more often.

He could understand her reluctance to do that after what the mage had done to her and he silently cursed him for it. He loved the child like a daughter and didn't like to see her hurting. That, however, was not his battle. The battle that was his was the one with the Consul. He'd been talking about what they should do to help their odds in the battle with Mircea and Jack. Nothing they had discussed made their odds that much better but he supposed that it was better than nothing.

He went to find Cassie and Pritkin looking in Mircea's private rooms hoping to find them there only to see them _shift_ out as he opened the door.

* * *

They landed on a hard, cold floor. Everything smelt like damp and rotting flesh. Cassie scrambled up and bumped into something solid as rock – Pritkin's chest. He whispered something and her vision improved. She wasn't queasy but wished that he'd waited until they were out of that particular corridor before he had done that. Bodies littered the floor in piles and stray limbs lay here and there. A few of the corpses had been reduced to piles of bones with a little meat left on them, still read and slowly being eaten by maggots.

"France. Civil war." Cassie said. "Weren't you here around about then?"

"Yes, I'm just about to walk through the door."

Sure enough a younger version of himself opened the door with a lantern in his hand and astonishment on his face. His younger version narrowed his eyes and thought about throwing a few potions at them but if his future self was standing there that meant that had to be the Pythia from their time stood next to him. He sank to his knee and waited for her to talk to him.

"Hey I like this version of you. You should take lessons." Cassie said. Her Pritkin merely grunted in reply. "What's going on today?" she asked the other Pritkin. Maybe she should call him John to save herself some confusion.

"Not much. A usual day until you arrived, my Lady."

"Her name's Cassandra." Pritkin said bluntly apparently not liking his younger self's chivalry. "We're going to need your help, come with us. What's your gut telling you?"

"That if you're inviting yourself along this isn't good." Cassie said. "Anyway shouldn't you remember this?"

"Actually no. I almost died at the end saving Ava that much I remember but –" He stopped mid sentence. Ava. Ava had been here?

"Stay here." Cassie said and _shifted_.

She was back at the mansion in the kitchen. Every one of the human guards was frantically grabbing food and then leaving. Rasputin strode into the room telling everyone to get a move on but when he saw Cassie he stopped what he was doing.

"Have you seen her?" he asked.

"Who?"

"Ava. She's gone missing."

The pieces clicked together in her mind. "She's in the past. French Civil War."

"Let me go with you." He said coming to hold her hand.

"No. I won't be able to _shift_ us all out. Pritkin almost dies as it is. Tell Mircea and call off the hunt."

"I can help you." He protested. "Take me back there!"

"Save it Rasputin." She said shaking his hand off and shifted back to the two Pritkins. "Ava's here."

Pritkin visibly paled where as John looked confused.

"Why is she so important?" John demanded looking into Pritkin's eyes.

"She's not." Pritkin said flatly.

Cassie rolled her eyes. "She is. You –"

"Miss Palmer," Pritkin said in a dangerously low tone. "do not say another word."

Cassie ignored him. "You love her in our time but you've had some stupid argument about –"

"Enough!" Pritkin barked worried that she'd say something that would ruin the time line.

"Something completely stupid and irrelevant. Now she's here about to be killed at a guess." Cassie finished.

Pritkin ground his teeth only glad that she hadn't given anything away and risked changing the future. He wanted to get a move on and have this task complete and be away from his younger self.

"They're executing a young lady at dawn." John said. "A red head."

"Ava." Cassie and Pritkin said together.

"Where is she? Can you get us there?" Pritkin asked half frantic holding John's shoulders and shaking him.

"She's in the cells. Follow me."

They finally made it out the room into fresh air which Cassie and Pritkin found that they gasped to start off with after being in the stench of rotting flesh for so long. Pritkin looked around himself with a trained eye and found that the place was beginning to slowly become familiar. The path they were taking became increasingly familiar. They'd take a left around here somewhere and then not too long after that a right.

He didn't remember the cells when they got there. It was darker than the night sky in there and there was a weight to the air that had nothing to do with the odour of perspiration. It was heavy with the knowledge that who ever was down there was going to die somehow. What weighed everything down even more was not knowing how they were going to die. Some people would have preferred a quick death and others would have preferred to be tortured so there was a chance of escape – that was what filled the air. Uncertainty.

John slowed down and Cassie and Pritkin followed suit looking round even more.

"Leave Lady Cassandra here." John said. "The wards are configured to my bio-chemistry. You'll be fine seeing as you're me, but she won't be."

Pritkin turned back to her and gave her a gun. She took it with a grimace but immediately felt safer holding it. Not that she'd be anything more than a major distraction now that she could almost hit people. Occasionally.

"Pritkin?" a voice trembled in the darkness.

Pritkin knew that voice anywhere and for the first time in days it was glad that he was near. He strode towards the cell that the voice was coming from and stopped horrified. Ava was leaning against the bars looking frantically at him. Her hair was all messed up and matted plastered against her forehead. Dirt lined her face and clothes which were torn and blooded. Her lips had been split from her effort to not cry out as she was tortured. A deep gash had once split her stomach but was now healing itself back together. The ward against the bars was slowly sizzling her clothes and skin but she didn't have the strength to move anymore.

John put the key in the lock and opened the gate causing the ward to fall. Ava also slumped to the floor but was caught by Pritkin. And then the mages came.

Eight Black Mages materialised from out of nowhere and immediately began casting magic. With no need to be quiet anymore Cassie moved into the room away from the mage that was nearest her and shot at her only to see the bullets stop in mid air where they hit the mage's shields. She cursed and ran back towards Pritkin who stopped his magical assault just long enough for her to get behind him. He was about to tell Cassie to shift them out of there when they were all knocked to the floor and Ava was picked up from where she lay.

The vampyres hands were cold against her burning skin welcoming against the onslaught of infection. She turned round somehow and saw whose arms she was in. The Consul of her time. Fantastic. This time she was pretty sure she was going to die. She'd been taken into Fey Land and tortured there for a few weeks and the portal had spat them back wherever – whenever – they were now.

"Not this time, Mage Pritkin." She said menacingly and ran out of the room. This time she was going to kill the girl and the Pythia and her protector. And then she would finish this line of bloodshed by killing first Radu and then Mircea.

"Cassie, shift us out of here." Pritkin bellowed grabbing hold of her hand.

Cassie _shifted_ to the other side of the room. "You need to help yourself first!" she shouted at him over the racket of an explosion and the dying of a mage.

Pritkin reluctantly turned back to the fight and launched a massive offensive at the same time as John killing all but two of the mages there.

"He can handle the rest come on." he ran off and followed the trail the Consul had left.

It wasn't a physical trail but one of scents. Cassie was going too slowly for his liking so he picked her up and ran with her in his arms barely noticing the extra weight as he ran close to vampyre speed. They were lead outside to where a guillotine was set up and Ava was being taken very close towards it. Behind Pritkin could hear his other self catching up.

"Get close to her and help her heal. I'll distract the vampyre." Pritkin said to John.

"Why don't you do it? You're the one who loves her!" John protested not sure he wanted to be anywhere near the enraged vampyre. He could feel her magic from where she stood a hundred yards away in the centre of the courtyard. "I don't even know the girl."

"I'm not doing it."

"Fine." He snapped.

Pritkin caught his arm. "Merlyn." He said.

John looked back round astonished to hear his true name being used. No one knew it anymore and it stopped him dead in his tracks. If he was using his true name then what he was about to say was of the greatest importance and even though he felt like he could disobey his future self he now didn't dare. Heart pounding in his chest he listened to Pritkin.

"Do not let her die."

The other mage nodded once determination filling his green green eyes and then left to go to what he assumed was his death.

Pritkin and Cassie stood in the shadows of an over hanging roof. They saw the other mage run close to the Consul, then they made their move. Behind her was a large cart of hey and straw. They lit a burning arrow and Pritkin shot it into the cart which burst into flames quicker than a box of matches. The Consul screamed and dodged out of the way leaving Ava behind.

John had just reached the girl when the cart lit up and he stayed near it the whole time knowing the vampyre wouldn't come close. Ava was badly hurt. So badly he wasn't sure she was going to make it, but what had he been told? _"Merlyn, do not let her die"_. Right, he had a job to do and he was going to damn well make sure he did it. He picked her up in his arms and felt the increase in her heart rate and the quickening of her breath. Happiness rolled off her in strong waves.

"Pritkin." She whispered. He looked down to see her blue eyes dimming. "You're here. You came… but it's not you, is it?"

"I'm the John from this time. Yours is over there fighting a vampyre."

"Help me." she begged.

"I can't. I don't know how."

"You're not my Pritkin but you'll do." she said and with the last of her strength she pulled him down, his lips meeting hers in a kiss.

He wasn't sure what was happening for a moment as she made his lips work with hers. Her pleasure hitched for a moment backfiring and he took energy from here but then the power balanced out. He fell into the kiss and let himself pull her hard against him not caring for a moment that there was fire around them and a vampyre trying to kill them where they now lay in the burning straw. Ava pulled him closer and raked one hand through his maddeningly soft, long hair whilst the other pressed into his back.

She felt his pleasure, could smell it around her and she absorbed it into herself feeling the fever melt away and the charred skin on her face repair. Nothing on her abdomen hurt anymore but she still felt exhausted. She knew she was going to survive but she didn't stop. What they were doing felt too good and she never wanted it to end. For half a moment she thought that it didn't matter which Pritkin she had and thought about running away with this one but at that moment she shut down and rolled off him.

John lay in the burning embers barely moving, barely even breathing, but he'd be alright. She looked round to see her Pritkin still battling it out with the Consul and wanted to join in but she didn't. She'd been tortured for weeks in Fey Land and still had broken bones. What healing she had done had been extensive but she was still in no shape to fight.

The Pritkin next to her sat up and looked at the spot she was watching. His older self was currently surrounding the vampyre in a ring of fire. Then he and Cassandra were by his side.

"Hurry." Cassandra said extending her hand to Ava.

John caught the hand that was going to meet it and pulled Ava close once more and kissed her. The contact was brief but powerful. "Because your Pritkin is being an arse."

Cassie _shifted_.

* * *

**The Cassie Palmer series belongs to Karen Chance as does Dorina who is from the equally fabulous book Midnights Daughter. I own nothing. **


	24. Chapter 24

**Here's the next chapter, romance included. Hope you like it! (: **

**Oh, Pritkin goes 1st person for a moment in here and we get to know our favorite Mage's innermost thoughts. Yay. **

* * *

They landed in the garage of all places. Ava collapsed against a row of shelves whacking her head a few times on the way down. Pritkin knelt near her and checked to see if she had any new injuries – she didn't. He picked her up and ran off to find Louis-Cesare who he considered the best vampyre healer in existence. For some reason he was sat in the kitchen with Rasputin.

As soon as they saw them they moved away from the table and let Pritkin lay Ava on it. Louis-Cesare started with a leg wound whilst Rasputin worked on her mangled chest.

"Have you come to your senses yet, Mage?" Rasputin asked not looking up from what he was doing and pulled a long flat worm type fey from her chest. No wonder she was almost dead already.

"Yes." He said. "I'll talk to her as soon as she is well enough."

"You'll talk to her as soon as she's conscious, well enough or no." Rasputin fixed him a glare that made him feel like a naughty child up in front of the head master. "Hurt her again and I'll kill you myself."

"Here," Louis-Cesare said. "Hold this." And passed Pritkin her less damaged hand.

Pritkin took it fervently, gently squeezing it to see if it would get some response.

One of the other daylight hours staff walked in and stopped in his tracks when he saw what was going on. One look from Pritkin sent him scuttling back out the room.

"Pritkin." Ava mumbled. "You realise you called yourself an arse." She began giggling and didn't stop.

The vampyres finished what they were doing and sat back down in their seats.

"Oh, wow, I've not felt this good in almost a month." Ava said sitting up and testing her limbs. "Ah, that elbow hurts. I think you missed a spot." She looked over at Louis-Cesare.

"You need to heal some of it yourself. It will do you better in the long run."

She got off the table and Pritkin watched every graceful move. She went straight to the fridge of course and pulled out sandwich stuff and a carton of milk. Before she did anything with her food though she went to the sink and using a glass from the drainer filled it with water and gulped it down. And then did the same again. Rasputin made her a sandwich that she practically inhaled and then she made herself another one. As she ate and drank she got stronger and Pritkin was glad to see more like her normal self.

He watched her laugh with the vampyres and eat more and more food and every movement was like music to his ears and stars in his eyes. She had yet to notice him, or maybe she had noticed him but was ignoring him, whatever, she hadn't chucked him out yet which meant that maybe she was closer to forgiving him.

He hated to think what would have happened to him if she had really been gone for a month. For the first time he was a little glad of the time difference between Earth and Faerie. If she had been gone a month… he would have been beside himself with worry and forcefully broken into MAGIC to use the portal there. It would probably have resulted in his death but at least he'd have tried and she'd be safe.

"Ava." He said.

* * *

I looked round at the sound of that voice, honey soft on my skin, and stared at him. For a moment he was an overlay of two Pritkins, the one I was lumped with and the one who had kissed and touched me back in time. He had long and short hair at the same time, wore a green tunic at the same time as a blue shirt.

"Na ah, to weird." I said hopping off the unit and walked out the door.

I went straight to my room which now had a shower, jumped in it and put some flannel jammies on before falling into bed.

I woke up to see green eyes looking into mine. He had long hair and then I blinked and it was gone.

"Still too weird." I said getting out of bed bluntly ignoring him.

"I never meant to hurt you." He said.

"Oh really? Well that was obvious seeing as you tried to _kill me_."

"Ava, I –"

"Tell you what, John, when you've decided who the hell you are you can tell me you're sorry." I left the room slamming the door behind me not even wincing when the wood splintered.

* * *

Pritkin, perhaps against his better judgment let her go. He stayed in her room hoping she'd come back. He watched the rout she'd taken and saw her take it over and over again and as he replayed her exiting in his mind's eye.

As he saw her walk he once again saw the shape of her hips, a soft curve under the light veil of her clothes. Her hair was like a fire in the middle of their heated argument but on fire with life and her goodness, not the anger she carried. Delicate arms that could kill a man one moment and heal a wound in the next had hugged herself emphasising the shape of her waist, womanly against the deadly force that she was.

When her eyes had opened his heart had soared and he knew that she'd be okay. There had been life in those eyes, a kind of life that he'd long learned that only she had and seeing it again had made him complete.

He wanted her to see that he truly was sorry but she was still too angry for that. Not that he blamed her for being angry. He had tried to kill her, after all. Dismayed he stood up and looked out the window.

* * *

She was stood in the rain even though it was freezing out. I was stood looking at her from the safety of the house. Her white t-shirt was just wet enough for it to cling to the curves of her body, all the curves I'd longed to have close to me, longed to touch, long to call my own. Red hair had turned almost black to match her mood and was now pressed to her head and back instead of gently resting on her shoulders. Her shoulders sagged and she hugged herself, not to protect against the cold. To stop her soul ripping in two and leaving so it would no longer have to inhabit a body whose heart had been broken.

By me.

I hadn't told her that she was half daemon. She called it keeping secrets from her. I called it protecting her. I knew what it was to have a soul like that. Half of it belonged to the light and believed in goodness and life. Half of it belonged to the dark and was consumed entirely by evil. An evil so twisted, so pure there was no cure for it. No way to make it good again.

Before she'd known what she was she was the most beautiful person I'd ever known. And she still was, in a way. She still looked the same, still had the same voice, still had the same impulsive nature. But she looked on everything differently now. The way she looked at everything was different, the way she treated everyone was different, the way she looked at _me_ was different.

She saw everything with a new light. Everything was even more fragile than before. She was being more careful with her magic because she knew why it so easily, so frequently, almost destroyed things, almost killed people even when she didn't want it to. She was scared to use it now even though it was her greatest asset on the battle field. She treated everyone with an air of formality because she was scared that she'd accidently do something that would kill them. _Everyone apart from Rasputin_, I bitterly thought. He was the oldest vampyre out there and she thought he was safe from her magic. He was the only person she let herself get close to anymore because she thought he was untouchable.

And she looked at me like I was dirt. I'd kept a secret from her and now she didn't trust me. It was fair enough I suppose if she simply didn't trust me. But she looked at me with contempt. As if she was scared of turning into me. And I wasn't the kind of person you wanted to turn into.

I was half daemon. Like her. My father was the most powerful daemon in existence. Unlike her. This meant my evil side was more evil than hers. More twisted and unforgiving. But if I could forgive her _surely_ she _could_ forgive me. What she was doing was killing me. Slowly killing me. But I could still forgive her because every time I touched her some of that darkness lifted even if only for a second.

In the few months I'd been training her for the battle field I'd become accustomed to her ways – her sense of humour, her grumbling when she couldn't do something right, always thinking with her stomach. I'd got used to the way she flicked her fringe out of her eyes, the way she twisted her right ankle when we began fighting after a short break, the way her eyes narrowed in concentration when she was watching me. I'd come to miss the bantering arguments we often shared. I remembered how I used to find them annoying but as I'd come to know her I'd found them amusing and often looked forward to them or even sometimes starting a debate for the hell of it. And then she'd glare at me when I beat her or smile in triumph when she beat me.

But what I missed most of all was the genuine smile that would sometimes turn up the corners of her rosy lips into a soft curve, and then a full smile that would always make my heart melt.

I knew that if I didn't tell her I never would. More over I'd never forgive myself if I didn't. I had enough regrets I didn't want this to be one of them.

* * *

I heard him approach before I felt him close behind me. He was still away across the lawn but I still heard him – I had my _daemon_ hearing to thank for that. I knew that he'd come to apologise. It'd only taken him a few days and a couple of near death experiences. I guess he'd learnt something of my temper in the few months we'd known each other. In the few months I'd grown to trust him. Maybe even love him. But he'd destroyed that. He'd kept my true identity a secret from me! I barely knew anything about my past – where I was from, who my _parents_ were. If anyone had ever mentioned them I'd always asked for more information about them. Anything they told me had been something I'd treasured. But Pritkin, John Pritkin, had kept everything a secret. Everything.

How did I know he wasn't lying when he said he didn't know anything else about my past?

I'll admit that I missed him. I missed his rare smile and his brusque manner, his glittering green eyes and… well everything. Everything from the infuriating debates he started that suddenly turned fun when I was winning, the way he watched me when he thought I wasn't looking and his calm ways of teaching me even if I was beating him at sword fighting and giving him massive bruises.

He was close behind me now and I just knew what the drizzle had done to his hair. It would be gently pressed to his head but still light enough to sway in the breeze that was picking up. His cotton shirt would just be starting to go see-though making him a fest for the eyes as it began to cling to his muscled arms and shoulders. I'll admit that the warmth of his hand on my shoulder was intoxicating but I couldn't forgive him. I wouldn't let myself.

I shrugged his hand off and stalked towards the band stand. It was a light rosy pink up close and I thought of the irony. No feelings of love would be displayed here today. I waited for him to arrive a whole three seconds behind me.

I knew that he was trying to talk to me about what he'd done. And I knew that this was the conversation that either fixed me or shattered my already broken heart. I still wasn't prepared for it.

Pritkin in a soft, gentle voice said, "I'm sorry."

* * *

Ava turned to him with fury glinting in her blue eyes, "Who the hell do you think you are? What gives you the right to decide what I should and shouldn't know?"

Pritkin kept his gaze away from hers, staring determinedly slightly off to the right. He felt guilty, something he'd carried with him for a long time but this was different. It was new and fresh and it felt like someone had cut a hole in his stomach.

Ava noticed his avoidance and reached out to grab the front of his shirt. She may have been a few inches shorter than him but that didn't stop her. "Look at me!" She yelled up at him, pulling the material.

He obeyed, shifting his eyes to look at her. She was clearly upset, but, he suspected, more upset with him than learning she was half Incubus.

"How could you?" A tremulous note crept into her whisper.

Even though thunder clapped over the top of her voice he heard her question perfectly. Pritkin stared at her, taking in that pained look in her eyes. "I didn't want to hurt you."

Ava almost growled in fury and shoved him back against the pillar with as much force as she could manage. She then stepped up to him and grabbed his shirt again. "Don't pretend to suddenly care about me. You didn't want to help me in the first place, you refused to train me and you keep secrets from me. You don't care! So don't give me some bullshit about caring."

Pritkin felt his temper rising. He gripped her arms and spun them around pushing her up against the hard stone pillar. Ava fought back trying to push him away, but he was far too strong. "Don't tell me how I feel, you don't know." He growled at her.

Ava stared up at him, if it was anything like the roller-coaster of emotions she'd been feeling for him then maybe she did. She held his gaze for a long time, her anger somehow evaporated. He looked down at her, as if he couldn't work out how to feel. He wasn't angry, just confused.

He went to say something else but lightning flashed and another clap of thunder sounded. He waited for the last rumbles to die away but the rain was so heavy now that he wouldn't have been heard even if he shouted.

This was the scene he'd seen replayed so many times in his dreams. Them standing together under this very roof their bodies close enough to feel each others' heat. He leaned down quickly and captured her full red lips. Ava remained still for a moment, before her mind caught up and she responded, kissing him back. It was intense but gentle and almost as quickly as it began it was over.

Pritkin pulled away from her and took a couple of steps back, like he'd just realised what he'd done. He walked away from her, heading for the lawn. Ava was frozen to the spot, trying to process what just happened, whatever it was, it was good – perfect even. She watched him walk down the steps and along the rain soaked grass, towards the house where he would be lost to her forever if she didn't take this chance. But she was enraptured by the mere sight of him. Already his hair was plastered to his head and his white shirt had gone see-through, hugging the contours of his muscled back. So many times she'd envisioned her hands running up and down his back finding the tender spots where her touch could bring the most pleasure.

Suddenly she regained motor control. She didn't want him to leave.

She moved quickly, not caring that she was as soon as wet as him and got mud on her expensive looking indoor shoes, and grabbed his arm before he could reach the house. He turned reluctantly, unwilling to have his head bitten off. But when he looked he didn't see a murderous female holding his arm, instead she looked as unsure and torn up as he felt.

This time Ava reached up to him brushing rain slick hair out of his eyes then hooked her arms around his neck and pulled him down. He kissed her back gladly, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her tight against him. Whatever it was between them, he wanted this – he refused to over think it. He'd been thinking far too much about it for far too long. Her mouth was soft and yielding, it moulded to his own and he deepened the kiss.

The rush that swept through Ava was over whelming, she never wanted it to end. Her hand delved into his hair, she wanted to touch it for so long. Never had she felt such a sense of belonging as she did in those moments as they kissed not caring if they got struck by lightning because, surely, the electricity sparking between them was greater than what was falling from the sky. When their lips parted the space between them seemed like a million miles even though their foreheads were touching.

"I'm sorry. I've been such an idiot." Ava said almost laughing with joy.

John pulled away from her. He brushed hair away from her eyes and cupped her face in his hands. Only then did it hit him that she was his. His and no one could ever take her away from him. "Never. You've never been an idiot. You're the most loving person I know. Ava… I love you. Tell me you love me too."

Ava heard the note in his voice that was questioning his judgment. Or even her judgment. He thought she'd become caught up in the moment and didn't really love him? In reply she kissed the soft skin of heel of his hand before pulling him back to her and kissing his sensuous lips. Normally they would have both been cold and shivering but they bathed in each other's warmth.

Against his lips she whispered, "I love you, John Pritkin. I love you."

* * *

**Finally they've gotten over themselves! **

**I need to thank my best mate for helping me write that last scene, she's fantastic! **

**The Cassie Palmer series belongs to Karen Chance, I'm just screwing with their lives. **


	25. Chapter 25

We could have basked in the beauty of the moment for hours had Cassie not _shifted_ us back inside.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked laughing.

"Mircea needs you when you have a moment." She walked off muttering, "Finally."

I smiled and held Pritkin a bit tighter.

"How that vampyre knows no patience I'll never know." Pritkin ground a frown coming to his lips. I didn't like it there and smoothed it out with a finger.

"Well we could teach him some." I grinned and stood on my toes to kiss him. He readily complied but pulled back too quickly.

"It's probably about the war." He said.

"Oh. Yeah. That." I sighed and stood back on flat feet leaning against him. I ruined the moment by sneezing.

"Get changed and then join us."

"Alright. But I don't see why I can't just wear your coat it's got to be around here somewhere."

"I left it in France when we saved you. I'll see you in a minute."

I raced up the stairs to my room and quickly changed into jeans and the t-shirt I'd wanted that Pritkin had almost taken off me when we went shopping all that time ago. God had it really been that long ago? It felt like forever when in reality it was only a few months. Or, in other words, forever. I still hadn't worn the one shoulder t-shirt yet and I was willing to bet it would raise at least one eye brow in the room.

My hair was still soaked so I used magic to dry it in about five seconds leaving it slightly wavier and fuller than usual. Completely digging the look I threw some brown leather boots on that were still suitable to fight in even though they had a slight heel. I looked myself over in the mirror for a second before leaving. Dark blue jeans, Dark green top that had a low neck line and only one shoulder strap and dark brown almost black boots that laced all the way up to my knees and kickass hair. Awesome.

I took my time walking down the flight of stairs and opening the double doors to Mircea's rooms. Talk was coming from the dining room. I hadn't actually been in there and had to stop from oogling to keep up the cool appearance. Everything was gold gilded and Rafe's paintings sat everywhere, on the walls, ceilings, backs of chairs. Candles lit the table softly glowing on the plain white china and silver cutlery. The candle light caught on the gold in the decoration making the walls wink and gleam like a living entity in itself.

All the people at the table were dressed smartly apart from Pritkin who had used magic to dry his clothes and looked more casual than the rest of them but still smarter than me. There was a single place left at the table which I was gestured to by Mercia his gesture saying 'glad you could finally make it'.

"Now that we're all here," Mircea began looking round the table. Cassie was sat next to him next to who were Rafe, then Rasputin. I was at the head of the table with Jack to my right, to my left and down the other side of the table were Radu, Dory, Pritkin and Louis-Cesare. "We can outline the plan."

I'd not actually stayed in school long enough to sit in one of these types of meetings as per the syllabus. We would have all been put into groups not much unlike this one (ignoring the fact that most of us here were vampyres) and put to the test of planning out a battle. They would have done it a couple of months after I left. Now sat round the table I whished I was sat at the table with people I'd known since I was young.

I didn't let my nostalgia overcome me though and instead listened to Mircea.

"We have one week before the battle commences. You all know the plan as outlined by the Consul…"

"I don't." Dory interrupted.

"Stand there and fight until the bitter end." Louis-Cesare said in disgust as if it was the worst plan in the world, which it kind of was. "I told her it was bad. You would think she would listen to me at least."

"Louis-Cesare." Mircea said stopping his tirade. "We need now to protect against half of our allies as well. Rasputin your family are arriving in the next few days?"

"Yes," He said. "I sent word to them when Jonas was here."

"And he's going to see how many people he can gather." Radu added. "He does not know how many he can round up but –"

"Let me go." I said surprising myself. Everyone looked down the table at me, Pritkin especially disapproving.

"They tried to kill you!" he said incredulously.

"Exactly. Jonas said that he'd been told I was dead. They would have said the same at school. Me turning up, obviously not dead, would show corruption. I know a few people who definitely would join us – my class are about to graduate and I have some loyal friends. A few teachers would probably side with us. I'll tell them what's going on and give them the rough plan but tell them to openly shun me so no one would know any different. The more the merrier."

No one said anything for a long moment and I was afraid that they'd all say no until Dory said something.

"That's actually brilliant. Bet you never thought of exploiting her contacts."

"Because she doesn't have any!" Pritkin said banging his fist on the table. "She's not going out there."

"Oh shut up Pritkin of course I am. Mircea's already decided." I looked at the vampyre pointedly.

He paused for effect, pretended to think even though we all knew he'd done all the thinking he needed to. "She's going. Alone."

Pritkin would have argued if not for the glare Louis-Cesare fixed him with. After that it was just telling all of us where we would position our allies and who would take lead from whom.

"And I will kill her." Rasputin said crossing his arms over his chest. "Then I will take my rightful place as Consul." There was determination in his voice I hadn't heard before and was kind of relieved actually. So far since he'd been here he'd done nothing but accept what was happening to him and protect me selflessly. It was good to see a normal vampyre reaction for once – greed and jealousy, a desire to fight. Now he was being a proper vampyre.

His power radiated through the room making even Mircea pause for a moment and re-evaluate his opinion of him. For the first time we were seeing a leader of vampyres and the most powerful vampyre in existence. I knew what the other vamps were thinking – with Rasputin on the throne the American senate would once again be the strongest and the others would fear and respect them more than they had in a long time. They would be the ones everyone looked up to and vied to know. Yes Rasputin as head of the Senate could only be a good thing.

Mircea quickly moved back into action adjusting the plan slightly so that Rasputin was free to do what he willed.

"Ava, Pritkin, you will follow him keeping mages and other vampyres from hurting him. Rasputin some of your family will go with you. Ava, is there anyone at your school who would be willing to help?"

Anyone at my school want recognition for being the person who stopped a vampyre killing the guy who killed the traitor Consul? "Oh yeah. No shortage."

"Pick three. The best you have."

"Oh damn that means I've got to work with – Jesus fucking Christ man!" I cried, well almost screeched, and glared at Jack who had just kicked me under the table hard enough break my shin. I began fixing it and looked back at Mircea, "Sure, whatever." I said and then glared some more at Jack who was grinning wildly showing stupidly white teeth.

"It'll be your fingers next. One by one." He grinned some more.

I heard Pritkin trying not to laugh. So much for protection from the boyfriend. Alright I could fix it in a heart beat but still.

After that the rest of the plan was outlined and questions answered. Then I was sent off to get ready to go back to school. I'd be leaving first thing in the morning. I had the rest of the day to prepare but the sooner I was ready the sooner I could relax.

I wanted it to look like I'd been travelling for a while or something so I walked into Pritkin's room and found a tattered looking ruck-sack. It was a plain brownish one that may once have been almost black and had frayed bits and a couple of torn outer pockets. I'd make a story about stealing it from a Black Mage or something.

Back in my room I threw some clothes into a bag not really fussed what they were and declared myself fit to leave. I was obviously taking the jumper Pritkin still hadn't claimed back from the first time the Consul had tried to kill me because it was about the warmest jumper on the planet. Maybe that's why he'd brought it and it had saved his life a few times but I guessed I could take some liberties having kissed him and all.

"You may want to change the boots." Pritkin said having just opened the door.

"No the boots are awesome. Besides I can still fight in them if I have to."

He did have a point though I quickly realised when he pulled my kickass boots out from under my bed. I hadn't worn them in a while and was kind of surprised at how much I missed them. Last time I wore them they were just at the stage when they're the comfiest things in the world and would stay like that for what seemed like forever.

"Those boots, however, are even more awesome."

"Cassie had these." He passed me a thick pair of socks. My socks. I wondered where they had got to. "She found them in her gym bag the other day but she's washed them."

I put them inside the boots and sat on my bed.

"Do you know which ley lines to take?" he asked suddenly business like.

"I didn't get punished for two months for ley line racing for nothing. I managed to land at Dante's once actually. Interesting place." I pushed some more clothes into the bag and then picked up some potions I'd stashed away in a bedside cabinet.

"I wondered where those went." Pritkin arched an eye brow and took the vial out of my hand. "A nul net? Where did you get that?"

"From those mages who came here with my dearest father." I said the last two words with scorn and sarcasm dripping off them. "I think I have a blu-gaffer as well." I held up another potion.

Pritkin unstoppered it and sniffed it. "No that just makes people laugh until they cry with it. You put it in their drinks."

"A socialite invented that obviously." I said dryly disappointed it wasn't the stuff that made people hold their breath until they died by seeming to gaffer tape your mouth and nostrils shut.

"No. I did." He blushed. "It was an accident!" he assured me when I gave him a funny look. "I was trying to make something else and it turned out to be that. I think I only made about four vials of the stuff." He put it in his pocket and tapped it once it was in there as if it was in the safest place in the world. Considering whose trouser pocket it was in I guess it kind of was.

"So the legendary Merlyn did make a mistake!"

"I did not! I merely made something I didn't expect to."

"That's like the man's explanation of not being lost: I'm not lost I just don't know where I am. Face it you made a _mistake_."

"I only put too much nettle juice – " he stopped himself realising he'd basically admitted it.

"You _did_ make a mistake!" I grinned. "I guess the universe went out of balance that day. Was there, like, a tsunami that day or something?"

"Alright, so I made a mistake, doesn't everyone?" he asked defensively and slightly louder than he meant to. "I need coffee." He left the room leaving the door open behind him.

I grinned glad to finally have my Pritkin back. I looked round and packed a few hair ties and then followed my man into the kitchen.

* * *

I was just getting ready for bed when Pritkin knocked on my door. As I was going to dive head first into the hornets nest tomorrow I had decided on my favourite flannel pj's to wear – red ones with black flowers. I was about to change out of them when he opened the door a little and poked his head round.

"Hi, Pritkin." I said nonchalantly. I sat on the bed and wondered what he was doing here. "Um, come in."

The door closed leaving us in darkness except the little light that was coming through the window. I was for once back on a day light schedule and loving the fact I was going to sleep in the dark without the need for black out blinds.

"You should also take this." He said holding a dagger out to me.

"Are you working on irony now?" I asked with a raised eyebrow looking at the blade he was holding. The one he had almost killed me with.

"I'm giving this to you so that it my repay my debt and protect you forever more and be not a reminder of shame but a promise of hope." He said with a far way look.

"Al-righty then." I said taking the weapon. "Are you feeling alright Merlyn?"

My use of his true name snapped him out of it and he flashed me a glare that had me shaking in my boots. I gulped and looked at the floor a blush flushing my face.

"I – I'm sorry." I stammered chancing a small look up at him and quickly looked back down.

"No." he said. "No." he then took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Soft footfalls sounded on the carpet. I smiled realising this was how he walked when he was in a fight trying to sneak up on someone. For half a moment I entertained the notion of jumping up and making a funny face to diffuse the tension but thought better of it. Even with me he's never opened up that much and I knew he was about to and didn't want to waste that chance to be trusted with another piece to intricate puzzle that was John Pritkin.

Kneeling down his shadow passed over me. The touch of his hands on my chin was a surprise but then this man was full of mysteries and I never really knew what he was going to do. I comforted myself with idea that I'd figure him out eventually.

"Look at me, Ava." He whispered.

Tentatively I looked up and my eyes met with his. A gentle something passed between us.

"I am the one who should apologise. Not you."

"I won't call you that again." I said.

"Thank you. And I'm sorry." He pulled me into his arms for a moment and then pulled away. "Do you want to go over tomorrow – "

"No." I laughed. "Every time you ask it will be the same answer as it has been all day. I'm not caving that easy. Besides I kind of want to go to bed."

"Alright I'll leave you then." He got up and began walking away.

"Um…" I began and looked at the floor. What was wrong with me tonight? I was never this… bashful. I looked up and Pritkin was standing there looking at me. Again I wondered what he saw, a kid needing protection or a woman doing her best to get by when one of the most powerful vampires was out to kill her.

"Well…?" he asked raising an eyebrow. I knew that he knew what I was asking and my reasons behind it but there he was trying to make me say it out loud.

"You are a sick, sick man, John." I smiled. "Stay with me?"

"Alright." He smiled and came back towards me. I got under the covers and then looked back a Pritkin.

He was already shirtless and what a sight it was. I hadn't seen him without a shirt yet, alright his rain soaked one earlier went completely see-through but it wasn't the same. This time I knew I'd be touching those muscles and his bare skin would be right under my hand and I could rest my head against it. He was truly perfect. Blonde hair dusted his chest and although we'd joked that it was a turn off at school it looked more than gorgeous on him and I couldn't wait to touch him.

His skin was lightly tanned and every muscle toned to perfection. Even though he was just stood there waiting for me to finish my appraisal I felt like I was being teased.

"Well?" he asked.

"Yeah alright I suppose." I shrugged. "You sleep in your trousers?" I then remembered why. He hadn't discovered boxers yet. "Uh… you can go and get something comfier if you want."

He muttered something under his breath and then climbed into bed without preamble. I gaped at him for half a moment and wondered if he was feeling alright. Seriously was this the same man I had come to know? Was he the same incredibly private John Pritkin who had come to rescue me like the damsel in distress I had been back in England?

I chuckled at that thought. Damsel in distress. And here I was in a bed with a man out of those same legends. I really was living a dream. I was lying in the arms of a guy older than time and I was the one who was allowed to love him. It really didn't get much better than this.

Then I realised I still hadn't moved. Nor had my completely shocked expression at his casual movements.

"I'm fine." I said earning a weird look from Pritkin. Huh, so he hadn't asked if I was alright out loud. "Nothing." I muttered and lay down on the bed only I had my back to him as I liked to sleep on my side. I went to turn over but he gently told me not to.

We just lay there in silence for a few moments, not awkwardly exactly but not exactly comfortable either. Well I wasn't.

* * *

Pritkin had noticed her look of surprise when he climbed into her bed so he didn't curl up next to her right away even he was tempted to. The last time he'd shared a bed with a woman…the last time it had all ended in disaster. Last time he'd killed her. This time… well this time they'd both be alright. They both survive the night unless she had a nasty habit of kicking in her sleep. That he'd probably throw her out of bed for. If there was one thing he didn't like it was people disturbing his sleep.

He simply watched her for a while as she gently breathed. Some of her hair had come lose of the pony tail she'd put it in and lay out across the bed just urging him to touch it. He did in time. It was as soft as he remembered from all those times when it had brushed against his arm in practice.

Contentness filled him for the first time in years and he knew that it was because of Ava. When she was around everything around him seemed to slow and become more light and beautiful. For along time he hadn't taken any pleasure in the world, but now that Ava had come into his life slowly the world's beauty had seeped back to him and he was able to wonder at everything anew. The grass seemed greener and the air sweeter. He began to long for England once more. He longed for the moorlands and the bluebells of the forests and the chirping of sparrows.

Already asleep Ava rolled over her. Her hand landed on his chest and she sighed in her sleep. Pritkin pulled her closer and remembered how in training he used to hold her against him in a choke hold. Her warmth and spread through him just the same then as it was doing now, intoxicating and brilliant.

* * *

"Oh my God I fell asleep." I sat up my hand landing on something squishy and warm. I looked round and saw Pritkin looking up at me with slight amusement in his eyes.

He was a sight to behold in the morning. His hair wasn't quite doing as it was told and something almost gentle crossed his features. I smiled a little.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"You needed it." he said brusquely.

I knew what he was doing. He was preparing himself for what was to come today. For what I was to encounter today. He got out of bed and pulled his t-shirt on and then his coat over that.

I grabbed the clothes I was wearing yesterday and ducked into my bathroom to change. When I got back into the room Pritkin was sat on the edge of the bed looking intently at the floor.

"You'll be alright?" he asked.

"Half left." I joked. He smiled.

Stinky bounded into the room meaning Dory was close by. I turned to see her standing closer than I thought she was.

"Take this." She said passing me a small sphere. "It's a dislocator and this is something a mage I met gave me." she passed me a cube of back rock. "It'll um… well I'm not sure what it'll do but he was a hard core mage. Emphasis on the was."

"Uh, thanks." I said, uncertainly stuffing the cube into a pocket. As a rule I preferred only using weapons when I knew what they were but from the sound of it the guy who had given it to Dory had known his stuff and going into the devils lair required fire power to keep you company. Besides I could feel the destructive power emanating from it. Even though I didn't know what it was I felt a bit safer having it with me.

"Don't be scared."

"I won't. I'm only going back to the place where I twice saw my mother die and where they tried to kill me and where I probably killed a good friend. Only happy memories at that place."

"Wait. Saw your mother die _twice_?"

"Yeah time travel. Messes with your head. Seriously. If Cassie asks you if you want to go say no."

"Yeah. Well you've got to go. That's why I came."

"Right."

The ley line I was going to take ran right over Mircea's gardens. On the way over there people joined us. Mircea, Rafe, Rasputin, Louis-Cesare, Cassie, Pritkin. As each person joined us I felt my apprehension growing. What I had on my side was that people there knew me and I knew the surrounding area like the back of my hand. I was well aware that my plan could easily backfire and I was dreading that happening. What if the officials had already spread rumours about me in case I ever did come back meaning I was no longer trusted? What if I had a 'kill on sight' sign above my head?

Scratch that what would people do for the bounty that was above my head like a proverbial grave?

I pushed those thoughts aside and took a deep breath. I had hoped I could just come out here alone, jump in the ley line and have done with it. Now I had all those people watching me, stood there hoping I was going to help save them. I opened the line and was about to step in when Mircea wished me luck. Now I would have to turn round and face them all. Damn.

"I'll be fine." I shrugged. I looked from face to face and got smiles from Rafe and Louis-Cesare. Cassie gave me a brief hug.

"This will help you." Rasputin said. "Seeing us will give you more strength. If we didn't think it would help we wouldn't have come." He didn't hug me or put a hand on my shoulder, just the look in his eyes was enough to give me strength. Then I turned to Pritkin.

The last time I had seen him was this morning. I'd been curled up in his arms and had sleep in my eyes from the perhaps overly fitful sleep I'd had. For a moment after waking neither of us moved except for the tightening of his arms around me. I'd felt safer than I ever had and never wanted it to end. We'd memorised everything about each other in those couple of stolen moments. I remembered his smell and the soft hair of his chest, the way his chest rose and fell as he breathed, the warmth of his hands on my waist and the fire where his skin touched mine. He was full of hard packed muscle that was more than good to look at and drove me insane when I saw him using it.

Now as I looked at him I felt more sorrow than I ever had before and I could tell he was feeling it too. We'd only just got passed our petty argument and now, because of me and my big mouth and stubborn head, I was walking into one of the most dangerous places I could. For all we knew we'd never see each other again. I didn't know what to say so I just kept looking at him.

He looked torn up, wanting to say something but unable to with all the people around. Then he put a hand on my cheek and I moved into it loving the way the rough patches on his skin soothed my own and the look in his green, green eyes was more than enough to make me believe in myself.

"How are you getting there?" he asked his voice rough with emotion. It was like a balm to my skin but broke my heart the rest of the way at the same time. John Pritkin was strong and nothing could hurt him. Except me. Or me dying. If this is what love did to you was love really worth it?

Of course it was worth it. Worth it a thousand times over.

"I figured I'd just strengthen my shields or something." I shrugged and looked at my boots. Someone had scuffed them up for me so they looked travel worn but it was all cosmetic. They were still as strong and comfortable as when I last wore them. I had a feeling I'd owe these boots my toes lives before the end.

"No. Take this." He pulled a softly glowing sphere from his coat and put it in my hands.

I'd seen this device just once before when I asked him about how MAGIC was destroyed. It was only just big enough to need two hands to hold it and the magic inside it was a swirl of orange and gold. Pritkin's treasured prize.

"Pritkin I can't…" I lamely began.

"Take it." he said his voice unusually soft. "It'll protect you. Remember take the second left of the green one, not the first left of the purple one."

"Yeah. Elementary mistake that was." I said with a small laugh. I looked up into his eyes for a moment and then reached up and kissed him briefly on the lips. He kissed me back and then whispered in my ear.

"Stay safe, play hard."

I stepped away from him and then turned back to the ley line.

"Wait!" Pritkin blurted.

I turned back to him reluctantly. I'd been ready to go and everything.

"Take this." He passed me a vial.

"You're giving me the mistake potion? I bet laughing is going to be a major distraction for fully trained mages." I smiled a little. "Thank you." I kissed him on the cheek and turned back to the ley line.

I paused before I opened it and then I was zooming away through the sky inside a tiny bubble of safety. I quickly figured out how to stay in the middle of the road, in the smoother stream. The hardest thing was keeping concentration and not looking too much at the landscape smudging passed. A couple of times I almost lost it to go falling to my death. After the yellow one I was on I had to take the blue one that took me over MAGIC and then a purple one, remembering not to take the first left, which then bled into the green one where I took the second left. Before I knew it England was below me.

The line I was in swept way over the lines that serviced England and the Channel Islands. Below was not only England but the lines that dipped into the streets and soared with mountains and ran alongside rivers in varying hues of red, purple, fuchsia, blue and pale green. A small red one opened out in Stratford-upon-Avon, almost directly over the river. I navigated my way towards it and entered with ease. Five seconds later I was at my stop.

Getting out was always harder than getting in. It required more concentration and skill. And I managed to stuff it up getting caught in the current as I was getting out meaning I was flung over the river as I exited. Fortunately a canal boat was passing under as I fell. I landed on the roof which appeared to be weakened with age. I fell through landing in the kitchen, half on the counter half off.

Abruptly standing up as per my training was perhaps the worst thing in the world to have done at that particular moment and I was faced with something no person ever wanted to see – to people in the middle of a _very_ good time – and they tumbled on the floor landing at my feet. Okay so maybe getting up was a good thing otherwise they would have landed on me, but having working eyes wasn't.

The man yelped and the woman reached round for a sheet.

"You do know you're moving don't you?" I asked with an arched eyebrow.

They both cursed and grabbed the first clothes that came to hand and rushed out side. Half laughing I walked out behind them and grabbed hold of the branch that was passing over head. I didn't want to be around when they realised there was a whopping great big hole in their boat. From my vantage point I quickly got my bearings and headed to the bridge up river and crossed to the other side. From there it was a five mile walk to school. Instead of wasting time I got a taxi.

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**Karen Chance owns both the Cassie Palmer and Midnight's Daughter series.**


	26. Chapter 26

**For ****_ButterflyN. _****Thanks for the review!**

**Karen Chance owns the Cassie Palmer and Midnight's Daughter series. **

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Symbolically, or just because of fait, Toby was the first person I saw. Relief swept through me as did guilt and I felt a stupid grin spread across my face. He was coming down the corridor I was heading up. First he looked excited but then he paled either remembering that I was supposed to be dead or what I'd done to him. I didn't mind so much since I was just happy that he was alive.

Toby shiftily looked around and made what we'd all been told was a fatal mistake and put his hands in his pockets. Either he was so scared to be around me he forgot all his training or he figured he was safe enough around me. I smelt the air around him and although the fear around him was palpable his overriding emotion was utter confusion. There was a little anger in there too but it was suppressed and, I thought, not directed at me.

"I thought you'd at least avoid this place." He said, his voice a little croaky. "Still not – "

I held up a hand silencing him and listened. "People are coming."

At that moment a group of people rounded the corridor at the end furthest away from us. Even from there they would recognise me. Without warning Toby leaned in and roughly kissed me pushing me against a door I'd been stood next to. For half a second I panicked and then completely shut down, but that's not to say I didn't play along.

My hands first of all reached for his hair and then travelled down to clench his butt. The whole time I was screaming "no, no, no" inside my head but my incubus senses were screaming "yes, yes, yes". I tried to shut them off but I honestly didn't know how. Fortunately I didn't feel any pleasure radiating off him, it was more like disgust and self loathing.

Finally he opened the door and kicked it shut behind us. We sprang apart.

"What the hell did you do that for?" I hissed.

He rightly looked outraged since he'd just saved my life. I cut him off from talking.

"You can't do that!"

"It's not like I wanted to!" he hissed back as the group of people passed by the door, a couple pausing to wolf whistle.

"I'm half Incubus I could have killed you!" I shot back.

I flicked the light on more for his benefit than mine since I could see well enough, but I knew his human eyesight wouldn't be able to see in the light that was coming under the door. Figuring there was no one in earshot anymore I continued in a normal voice.

"Thanks but please don't do that again."

"They told us you escaped your execution." Toby said bluntly. "There's a price on your head."

"Would Jonas really order my execution?"

"No. At least I never – "

"I saw him at Mircea's and he was glad to see me."

"Mircea the vampyre?" he asked in disgust.

I knew what I was about to say would sound ludicrous to him but I said it anyway with a nonchalant shrug, "They're not that bad."

He looked at me in astonishment.

"He sent me here actually."

"He sent you to your death and you're saying 'they're not that bad'? Well we've reached new heights even for you!" he exclaimed in exasperation throwing his hands up in the air.

"Look. I need your help."

"Oh really." Sarcasm coloured his voice. "I never would have guessed."

I rolled my eyes. "Are you going to help or not?"

"You know you could have just waited until tomorrow when we have leave." He said deadpan.

I stared at him, my jaw hitting the floor. I was officially an idiot. How could I have forgotten about that? If I had remembered I would have had a day with Pritkin. Now I'd be lucky to get out of here alive. I slapped my forehead – an old habit that Rita had broken me out of when I was about twelve. I had a feeling I was going to be doing it a lot more in the near future.

"I am an idiot." I said slowly leaving a pause between each word. How the bloody fucking hell was I going to get out of here? "Wait a minute… isn't it Mr. Black's birthday today?"

"Yeah, why?"

The cogs were slowly turning. "Everyone's going to be there right? For, um, breakfast?" it was that time of day, right?

"Yeah." He said still not quite getting where I was going with this. "No one's not allowed to attend…" his eyes widened. "No. It's too easy."

"It works in Harry Potter. I'll sneak out whilst you're eating breakfast and I'll get a room in a motel. I'll find you in town tomorrow.

"Where?"

"Just be in town. Anywhere. I'll find you."

"I'm not going to sell you out!" he angrily protested.

"Just following training, dude. Tell Rita exactly the same just, _please_, don't go to the same place, alright?" I put a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye.

"Alright." He said not satisfied with my plan. "Give it fifteen minutes and then leave through the back."


End file.
